


Bonds of Fate

by Dreamcatcher3



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Ana jarvis is a badass, Edwin jarvis is a badass, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Howard Stark's Bad Parenting, M/M, Maria Stark's A+ Parenting, Maria Stark's Bad Parenting, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Out of Character, Slow Build, Slow Burn, So Very Slow, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-15
Updated: 2021-04-03
Packaged: 2021-04-25 04:54:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 44
Words: 29,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22270108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamcatcher3/pseuds/Dreamcatcher3
Summary: There are several types of bonds that exist, all which appear on the skin anywhere from a year before meeting or on the day of.Bonds can be of romance, friendship, family, partnership, inspiration, and even of enemies. They appear grey before meeting, black when you meet, eventually take on other colors based on the type of relationship established.Tony was born with two: one for Edwin Jarvis, and the other for Ana Jarvis.Unfortunately this caused problems with his biological parents. But fortunately for Tony, you don't mess with the Jarvis family.
Relationships: Ana Jarvis & Tony Stark, Ana Jarvis/Edwin Jarvis, Bucky Bear & Tony Stark, Edwin Jarvis & Tony Stark, James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark, Loki/Tony Stark, Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, Tony Stark/T'Challa
Comments: 276
Kudos: 688





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing on here and for the marvel universe (and really just in genera) so please be kind.
> 
> Tags will be added as i go as i have several ideas on where to takes this story and haven't quite chosen a direction.

Soulmates.

The end-all of relationships, even thought stronger than familial bonds. However, soulmates are not just those of romance and it was up to the bonded to figure out what type of bond it is. 

It could be a bond of romance, a bond of friendship, a bond of partnership (as in business), a bond of family (either that of blood or of chosen family), a bond of inspirational people and mentees, and even a bond of enemies.

Only a few things were truly known about bonds: 1) all bonds showed up the day of meeting and up to a year before, 2) they appeared grey until meeting, 3) they are black once you meet, 4) they change colors to represent the type of bond once the relationship is truly established (sometimes even being multiple colors): Romance - red, friendship - blue, partnership - green, family - purple, inspirational - white, enemies - silver.

Tony Stark carried marks for the Edwin Jarvis that was a cufflinks and a teacup, and one for Ana Jarvis that was a group of daffodils.

For the Jarvis', his mark (a golden ratio overlaying a galaxy) appeared on them days before Maria found out she was pregnant, and they instantly knew their new mark was for him. They told him how they cried with joy when they realized it, and again they day he was born - all marks immediately taking on its purple hue as Ana held him and Edwin wrapped his arms around the both of them, both whispering promises of love, protection, and more to the tiny baby in their arms. Eventually their marks would grow to carry even more colors and show just how strong their bonds are.

Unfortunately for Tony, his parents saw this supernatural phenomenon to be a sign of betrayal. It was something to be ashamed of, for after all, how could their baby and the universe tie Tony to the help and not them, except to cause pain to Howard and Maria?

Fortunately for Tony, Ana and Edwin are far more than just the help. A fact they would remind the Starks about.


	2. The Jarvis Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Little Tony spends time with Ana and Edwin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a reminder that this is an AU, so while a characters personality (and speech patterns) might not be Canon, it is how i picture them. 
> 
> I do hope you enjoy the story, and my takes on characters.

Edwin Jarvis sneaks into the room, carefully to keep his footsteps light as he makes his way closer to his target. He held his breath as he covers the last few feet before pouncing. "Got you Young Master Tony." He pulls up the squealing and giggling bundle, and tucks him into his chest so he could free his hand to uncover the small three-year old child from his Captain America blanket.

"Jarvis!" Tony shrieks, his slight lisp heightening the cuteness that melted Edwin's heart, "you found me!"

"And I always will my dear boy." He give the little boy a kiss on his forehead before placing him down on his feet. "Now i do say, Young Master that it is time for tea."

"Tea?" Tony's eyes widen. "And cookies?"

"Of course. Ana always makes you cookies to go with tea time." A little hand takes his own as they head out of the room and for the kitchen. "I think she likes you more than me. Never makes me any special cookies," His voice takes on a playful put out tone.

"Because my Kicsim deserves special cookies," Ana calls out from her spot by the small dining table as she places the plate of cookies down.

"And your dear husband doesn't?" Edwin gives her a kiss before helping Tony into his chair.

"Nope." She grins and runs her fingers lovingly through Tony's hair as the little boy laughs at her reply. 

"You wound me my dear." 

"I'll make it up to you later." Ana gives him a wink and they both sit down to join Tony. It had become a tradition to have tea with him at the small kitchen table since the time he was no longer nursing. And truthfully, even before then when the wet-nurse could be roused into joining them.

"Now ducky, what do we say to Ana who made all these yummy things?"

"Thank you!" He tells her a little too loudly and with the biggest grin possible.

"You are welcome Édesem." 

The three of them then make small talk as they eat their sweets and drink tea - in Tony's case, watered-down apple juice - going about their plans for the remaining of the day, which included going to the park. It did break Ana's and Edwin's hearts on how easy it was to take Tony to the park since his parents wanted nothing to do with him and therefore the paparazzi had no clue what the young Stark looked like. They knew it would all change one day, but until then they would enjoy each moment they had with him.

"Afterwards i think we might be able to make a trip to the ice cream parlor if someone is good," Edwin states as he helps Tony clean his face and hands.

"I'm always good," replies Ana, making them laugh. "Tony would you help me clean up while Edwin gets our things ready?" Tony gives a nod. "Thank you dear." She helps him down and hands him the plate of remaining cookies to carry. Sure she was always worried to give him things that might break but she knew her sweet Tony always liked to help, to please others, and blossomed under praise. It didn't help who his birth parents were, who deemed the way the Jarvises took care of Tony was coddling, which has lead to many arguements. Accommodating the needs of a three-year old was not coddling.

"Ana?" The little voice shook her out of her spiraling thoughts. "What i do now?"

"Hmmm" She taps her chin playfully. "I'm thinking I need my expert sweeper to help me clean up around the table." Ana bends down so she is more on eye level with Tony. "Do you think he could help me with that? It is so hard to crawl underneath it."

Tony nods rapidly. "Yeah! I can!" He runs as well as his little legs can over to wear a small broom and dust pan was kept for him and goes about the task as if he was a brave knight fighting off a fearsome dragon. It brings a smile to her lips and she watches him for a few moments before cleaning the dishes and packing a small travel bag with water and some bags of cut up fruit and vegetables.

Her attention shifts again when she hears Howard's voice, quickly grabbing the bag and handing it off to Tony. "Will you be a dear and take this to Edwin? I bet he could use your help. I do say he is getting slower in his old age." She tweaks his nose and he scurries off.

Taking a moment to straighten her clothes, she allows herself to focus on Howard's yelling and deems him to be in the direction on his office. And with each step she takes that way allows her to hear him better. "The drunken idiot," she mutters as she hears him cursing Maria for not giving him a worthy heir and yelling about sending him off, "Tony is far better than you." She knocks on his door before pushing it open.

No one messes with the Jarvis family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hungarian Terms of Endearments:  
Kicsim - “my little one”  
Édesem ‘my sweet’
> 
> https://languagedrops.com/blog/terms-of-endearment


	3. Promises Made

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hope you like this chapter - it gives more of an idea on Ana and her mother bear/protective nature.

The moment Ana walks in she levels Howard with a look that shuts up anything he would have said about her sudden appearance in his office. "Excuse the interruption Master Stark. Your voice was carrying and --"

"This is my house!"

"--And I know how important it is to you to keep a level of decorum," she continued on as if he never spoke. "I also came to inform you that Madame Stark will be having guest momentarily, including Madame Xavier, Lady Fury, and Madame Kelly." Ana's eyebrow raises in challenge. "I'm sure you would want a moment to collect yourself and make yourself more presentable for societal obligations."

"I am Howard Stark! I can do whatever i want!" He grabs a glass and throws its across the room that hits the wall about three feet from where Ana was standing.

"And I am Ana Jarvis." Her accent weighs heavy in her words, the only sign she is truly angered. "I am the one who raises the child society says you must have and keep him until an appropriate age. I am the one who cooks your food, careful to keep anything harmful away from it. And i am who knows how to assemble and disassemble every weapon, can hit any mark, and trained in several martial arts." Ana steps closer to him until mere inches separated them, and yanks on tie to bring him eye level with her. "So listen here segglyuk, do anything even remotely like that again, and you will personally find out how truly capable I am. The only thing keeping my darling and me here is Anthony. And only because i cannot steal him away without having to look over my shoulder and he deserves a better life than that." She shoves hard in the middle of his chest and sends his falling flat on his ass. "Do not test me Howard." Once again she fixes her clothes and touches her hair to make sire no strand was loose. "I will be taking my family to the park. Make sure you clean up your mess." She walks out without another word to him and heads out to meet with her boys.

"Everything taken cared of, my dove?" Edwin asks from his spot against the car as Tony plays in the grass nearby.

"Yes Ed." She smiles and kisses his cheek.

"Are you sure because I can always follow after...."

"No, no. Now is the time for my dear boys." She calls out to Tony and he comes running over to tackle her legs with a hug. "Are you ready, kedvesem?"

"Yeah! You took forever!"

She coos at him. "I am so sorry. I hope you can forgive me.

"I can!" Tony nods. "You here now. So now we go."

"Yes master Tony," Edwin reaches down and picks him before grabbing the bag in his other hand. "I do believe it is nice enough for a walk." He extends his arm out so Ana can take his arm in hers and the three of them head to the park, letting Tony fill the air with his ideas on how to create a robot dog - of course the Jarvises asked thought-engaging questions to encourage their chatter-box until the mathematics of the slides take his attention as the enter the park and he shoots off like a rocket towards them.

"You know, Ana, I can always have someone forge papers and we can leave." He helps her set up a blanket and sit down together to watch Tony. "We have more than enough money saved away."

"But what life could he have like that? He is too smart. Someone would take notices of our sweet baby. Put him in a paper or something. And then they take claim to him all because he has their DNA." They sat in silence as they watched Tony explain the slide to another boy his age before going down together, their laughter trilling in the air.

"Then we kill them." Edwin says, only half joking.

"You know we can't do that." Ana lightly smacks his arm. "There would be no one to care for him then besides the dreadful Stane."

"There is Carter."

"No. She is nice but she would not know how to raise a child. Nor love him like we do."

"Then what do we do, my love?"

"We keep loving him," Ana responds softly, "and we give him a safe place until he no longer needs them or no longer wants them in his life."

"And then we take and keep him?"

"And then we take and keep him. Our beautiful son."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hungarian terms:
> 
> segglyuk - asshole  
kedvesem - my dear


	4. Tony' first invention

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony makes his first invention, and it doesn't go over well.

Tony finishes connecting the last wire to the circuit before closing up the panel on his robotic dog. He studies it for a moment before pushing the power button, holding his breath and hoping it would work.

It took a moment but it did turn on with a soft beeping sound - he wished it barked like a real dog but he didn't have access to that type of material yet. Still, for a four year old, Tony knew what he made was pretty impressive.

"Sit," he commands, and he watches the little dog seem to assess the command before complying. "Lay down." The delay happens again, but still see result. Scooting back Tony give one more command, "Come here." Giggling when his robot succeeds.

"Jarvis!" He calls out and turns to look for the older gentleman before he remembers that Ana and Jarvis were out visiting with a friend from his time in British Armed Forces. "Oh, right." His smiles falls a little before he reaches out to pet his creation and pulls it close to his chest. 

"Could show father," he says to no one in general, "but you need a name." Tony keeps petting the puppy as he thinks. "TAD! The Awesomest Dog!" His laughter echos around his room as the clever name. This joy makes him leap up and take his invention to Howard who was working in his lab.

"Dad! Look what i made!" He bursts into the room, waving TAD around.

"What did i say about coming in here?" Howard growls and turns his ire away from his own invention to look down at his son.

"But you said," Tony's lip starts to tremble, "iffff, the door is open -"

"Shut up you whiny brat." He finally takes notice of what his son is holding. "What is that? It is crude....and did you really waste my part to make what," he snatches it away, "is this....is this supposed to be a dog? Why the hell would you make a dog? No one needs this."

"It... it listens and -"

"And nothing!" Howard throws the toy against the wall and watches pieces break off. "You couldn't even keep it from breaking. But what did i expect from an idiot. You have no use, just like that thing." He turns his attention back to the device he was making. "Get out of my sight before i make you."

Willing his tears not to fall (after all, "Starks are made of iron"), Tony goes and picks up TAD and all but runs away, back to the safety of his room and shoves his invention into a box. "I am smart. And useful." He tells himself. "Anna and Jarvis say i'm special." He rubs over his marks, wishing they were there with him. "I am smart. I can make anything." Tony grabs another box of parts Howard threw away and pulls out parts to make something Howard would deem useful. He would make a circuit board to allow for better transmission than currently existed in the gps systems. Tony had constantly heard Howard complain that the invention was of such low quality that it rarely worked. But Howard was still not able to get one to work right, but Tony knew he could. He stolen one before and listened to his dad many times so he knew what the problem was. "I'll show him."

Hours pass before Tony is satisfied with his invention and knew that it was anything but crude. Taking it carefully he walked back to his father's lab and knocks on the door; he enters when he gets the go ahead.

"Dad, i made you something." He holds it up. "I fixed the problem the gps circuit board had. It will now allow for more accurate locations without having to transmit at high frequencies or require a large power source to keep it functioning."

Howard was in a stupor for a few moments, not believing what he was looking at before taking it. He wasn't sure yet without testing, but based on what he could tell with a cursory glance, his son solved the problem that he wasn't able to. On top of that, it would easily fit into the device he had already built the basic foundation for.... tony had built what would allow him more government contracts and gain more for SI when the device could be sold to the general public.

Looking at Tony again, seeing the hopeful look in his eyes, he decided in that instant he couldn't let the four year old know what he had done. 

"You're proud of this? Proud you created something that already exist? So what, you made it a little better, that means nothing."

"I made it! It was all me!" Tony reaches out to take it and is backhanded so hard he falls over.

"Don't act like you actually did something. GPS has been around for a year now. And you used my material to build this. Probably even stole my design." Howard puts the circuit board down and grabs his son up by his shirt. "Don't come here again until you can actually contribute something worth while."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like i need to say sorry for how this chapter went. Sorry.
> 
> Fyi: i looked it up while writing, gps was invented in 1973 but involved earlier navigation designs/devices. i honestly did not know that. I don't know why thought it was a more recent invention (like in the past two decades, recent)


	5. The Jarvises head home

Edwin taps his fingers against the steering wheel as he waits for traffic to move again. "I knew we should have left sooner."

"Yes dear," Ana says with a bit of a teasing tone. "But you know Harry and Jen wouldn't have let us leave without having a good and proper English breakfast."

Her comment causes him to let out an undignified snort and looks over at her. "As if we don't always have an English breakfast when visiting."

"There was the one time we had Italian." She grins.

"So much sass." He grins but it is immediately gone when he looks back to the traffic. At this point he might as well put the car in park. "I don't like being away."

"I know darling. But we couldn't take him with us. They didn't allow it." Ana's could taste her own disdain, as vile as if she she had eaten moldy cheese full of maggots. The Starks have no problem pawning Tony off on them (not that they minded) but loved to throw the parent card whenever it suited them. And during the week they were gone, Tony had to play the perfect son to an impromptu socialite event.

"I swear they waited long enough for us to not be able to change our plans and then threw together an event."

"With their money its possible."

"And since we have been able to talk to Tony for two days..." Edwin lets out a sorrowful sigh. "I'm worried." Thankfully traffic started moving again at that moment as if clearing way for him to get to his little ducky.

Ana watches him for a moment, her heart echoing the same concerns so clearly seen on her husband's face. "Pull over. I'll drive." Edwin's body tense a little. "I am not that bad."

"No....you're just an...aggressive driver."

"It will get us home sooner." She lets her voice take on a more cheerful and hopeful tone. Ana watches as he debates with himself before he pulls over. "Knew you would see reason." 

"Yes dear." Edwin replies and they quickly switches spots. He gives up a silent prayer and lets Ana and her driving take a few more years off his life. But at least it got them home at least fifteen minutes sooner than if he had stayed behind the wheel.

"Go ahead, you know you want to go find kedvesem. I'll take care of our bags." Ana gives him a kiss and shoos him out of the car. He throws back a thank you as he makes his way into the mansion with sure but rapid steps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Didn't mean for this chapter to focus so much on the trip home but it begged for more than just a few lines, and so it became its own chapter because of how well it broke away from the next part. It honestly felt weird to combine them in one chapter when the trip home took so much space. Like combining it would diminish the time in the car. 
> 
> I might go back into this chapter and add more details, to give the chapter more meat to it. Any thoughts on this?


	6. Comforting Tony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edwin finds Tony and comforts him

Edwin calls out for Tony but is only met with eerie silence. He raises his voice and calls out again but still nothing greets him. Something was definitely wrong. Tony always greeted him with the biggest hug and the warmest greeting whenever he had to be away - even if it was only for a few hours.

Breaking out into a near run, Edwin heads for one of the few places Tony would be - his room, but more important the little alcove that decorated a hidden door that lead to a small workshop that he created for the little genius when the Starks were away for a few weeks last Christmas. Tony had stayed in Ana's and his part of the mansion and so he had no clue what Edwin made him until its reveal on Christmas day.

Shutting the bedroom door and locking it, he heads over and kneels down to press to open the hidden panel at the based of the alcove's molding. He holds his breath as he types in the key, knowing Tony can lock the door from the inside to protect himself if he should ever need it. Thankfully it opens up and he quickly goes in and shuts the door.

"Oh Tony," he says softly as he sees the slumped over body wrapped in a blanket and cuddling his Bucky Bear, his face buried in its Army uniform. "What happened sweetie?" Edwin makes his way over.

"Nothing," comes a muffled reply.

"It's alright not to want to tell me, but please never lie to me. I only want the best for you." Tony doesn't reply but does turn to peak an eye out at him, and reach an arm out to Edwin, who immediately picks him up and wraps him in a hug. "I'll always want you to be happy. And if its in my means to do so, i will do whatever to ensure you are happy." He begins to rock the small boy, letting Tony bury against his chest and that of the bear's. He isn't sure how long has passed before a little voice fills the room.

"I made the dog."

"And that is wonderful?" He isn't sure why the mentioned of the dog he has been building in his head since he was three was leaving such a sorrowful sound in his boy's voice.

"I was excited." Tony picks at the buttons on Edwin's shirt. "I showed Howard." Edwin stiffens as he sure he knows how well that went given Tony's disposition. "He broke it. Said i wasn't useful. So i made a circuit board for his gps. He then.....he then...." a small pitiful hiccup escapes before a dampened spot is felt on Edwin's chest and makes him gently pull his face up to finally get a look at him.

"Did he hit you?" He tried to keep the anger from his voice. The little nod was all he needed before he bundled the boy up and headed out of the room and used a staff service door in the actual room to make his way to his wing. "Tony, i want you to know he had no right to do that. No one was the right to hurt you. I am sure it is jealous of your genius, but that does not excuse his behavior."

Edwin pushes open the door that connects to his living room and goes searching for Ana. "You are so smart, and kind, and caring, and so much more. You will shape the world like no one could have ever dreamed. A futurist. You will be a hero because you see the world and want to make it better. To help. Howard sees the world and only sees destruction, power, and money. He will never amount to you, for you will and already do surpass him, and that scares him. It makes his hateful." By now he found Ana and she was able to hear his words and knew something bad happened.

"If you want, we will make sure he can't hurt you anymore." Ana promises as she came to press herself to the other side of the boy, encasing him in their arms and love.

"No. I no want that." Tony tells them. "Just want to stay with you."

"Always sweetie." Ana takes Tony and sees the bruise. "Let's go take care of that while Ed finishes up his tasks. And then we will cuddles and watch some cartoons. Ok?" She already started taking him to the kitchen, so Tony wouldn't see Edwin leave back for the Stark's wing. 

Looking over her shoulder, she saw that he already disappeared and smirks; she definitely knew her husband.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yet another chapter that got away from me. (Jarvis said tony needed love and i whole-heartedly agreed)


	7. A Taste of What Edwin is Made of

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edwin Jarvis finds Howard and reminds him of who Edwin is.

Edwin finds Howard in his lab, a bottle of scotch next to him as he hunches over something. Looking around he looks for a circuit board because if i was as good as he thinks it is, there's no way Howard would have thrown it out. Instead he'd probably modify it slightly and claim it as his own. Unfortunately, he is not able to spot it so easily.

"Where is it?" He growls out, all sense of decorum leaving him. "What did you do with the circuit board?"

"That piece of shit, wh-" Howard is interrupted when Edwin grabs him and turns him around before shoving him back against the table.

"Wrong answer." He seethes, his face moving closer to the abusive man. "You forget how well i know you. So i'll ask again, where is Tony's circuit board?"

"In the trash just like anything that idiot made." Howard tries to sneer back, but it is quickly aborted when Edwin's forearm is pressed against his throat and he is bent at an unnatural angle over the table.

"One, Tony is far smarter than you, even at his age, and that scares you. You know very well that he is anything but an idiot. Two, i know you well enough to know you will take credit for other's inventions in an attempt to make yourself feel important and superior. So i know you have it somewhere in this mess." Edwin's free arm pulls back, his hand fisting, and he drives it into Howard's abdomen earning a groan from the man. "Try again before i start breaking bones. Especially since i am already going to harm you for hurting Tony. Confess and i will go easier on you."

Howard lets out an undignified sputter. "I'm your employer!"

"You're a fool if you think that will stop me." He pressed harder on Howard's neck, carefully cutting off his oxygen. "You harmed my son in different forms, and i am sure it only happened because you knew i was gone and thought i'd be gone longer. But unlucky for you, we cut our vacation short." He pressed a little harder. "And as your former friend, and as your employee, i know all your dirty secrets. And i will expose and destroy you the moment Tony decides you are not worth keeping in his life. But if you press me...." Edwin reaches for Howard's hand and grabs his index finger and breaks it, enjoying the scream that fills his ears. "For a weapons manufacturer and someone who worked on the lines, you are pathetically weak. You'd be so easy to break."

Howard makes a feeble attempt to get free, but Edwin didn't serve in the British forces, assist Peggy Carter in missions, and continously sparred with Ana on a consistent bases, to be taken down so easily by a pathetic excuses of man. 

No instead, he backed upped to let Howard think he had a fighting chance before hitting him with a right jab into the solar plexus. Next, he takes a step forward, letting his right leg move between Howard's and brings his left arm to punch Howard in the ribs. 

He can't help but chuckle a little at how easy the man crumples. "The circuit board, Howard." He steps on the man's ankle but doesn't apply too much pressure. Quickly Howard gestures over to a pile of metal, wires, and the like. "Stay put," he orders and gets a frantic nod is reply. Fixing his jacket, he moves over and begins searching through the mess until he finds the circuit board, smiling at the initials of T.S. etched into it. He admires how interigate it is, and how small it is knowing no one else has accomplished to make one on such a small scale yet still be powerful (listening to and working with the Stark geniuses has paid off to the point he can do some rudimentary inventing himself). 

Tucking it into his pocket, he turns to face the man on the ground. "I honestly should do more to you, but unfortunately i have spent too much time away from my family." He grabs a beaker of some sort of acid and begins pouring it some of the invention Howard has been working on, loving the sputters and curses coming from the man as he does. "Tony will be staying with us for at least two weeks, and Ana and i will be taking that time off. You will pay us," he finishes pouring the acid on the acid on the thing Howard was working on when he came in, "and continue to keep us employed. We'll say its for taking care of the child you sired. We may help here and there, but i advise you to find new staff members to take care of you and your wife." He starts walking for the door. "Tony is our only concern. You'll be wise to remember that. And remember just how much we know about you, and the connections we have." 

He shuts the door behind him, pulling upon the gentleman in him and he heads home to his family, leaving none of the staff around any wiser to what transpired.


	8. Family nap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some fluff for nap time for the Jarvis family.

Edwin was still seething as he entered his own home and locked the passage so no one can enter his part of the manor without having to come to the front door, and makes his was to wear he hears his wife signing a lullaby in Hungarian. It helped settle his emotions as he hears it, and only further warms him as he sees Tony curled up in her arms as she sways about.

He wished he didn't take that case with Carter sometimes because he knew if he hadn't Ana would have never been shot. His desire to help Peggy and be apart of secret missions, stole away Ana's ability to be a mother. And in moments like this, guilt liked to wrap around him like a boa constrictor.

"Stop it Edwin." Ana softly scolds him and brings him out of his thoughts. "Our son is right here. The child of our hearts." She carefully shifts Tony as she walk over to him, letting Edwin help encase Tony between them as Ed's reverently caresses the boy's cheek as he slumpers.

"He is indeed ours. Especially for the next two weeks."

"What did you do?"

Edwin chuckles and kisses her forehead. "I will tell you later, love. When he is asleep tonight perhaps."

"And will he be sleeping with us tonight?" She muses.

"Perhaps. We shall see when he wakes from his nap. But until then," he steps back and gently guides her towards the master suite, "shall we join him in sleep?"

"Of course dear," she chuckles. "Don't forget to grab Bucky."

"Perish the thought." Edwin smiles as he helps get the two loves of his life situated under the covers before walking towards the room that had become Tony's when Ana and him were no longer scared and jumping at shadows like they did when he was a newborn.

"My dear Sergeant, you are needed to accompany the prince," he addresses the bear resting against the pillow as he makes his way over to the bed, "and protect him from nightmares and monster beyond our ability to see and protect from." Edwin could almost swear he saw an answering glint in the bear's eyes that has nothing to do with reflecting light as he picks it up.

Something about the bear just screamed alive to him unlike the one kept on the Stark side of the manor. 

'It could be,' he ponders as he studies the toy as he heads back to his own bedroom, 'because unlike the others, this one has a special outfit and not the mass-produced one.' Edwin tucks the toy into the boy's arms before taking off his coat, waistcoat, and shoes before climbing into bed. He gives all those in his bed a kiss on the forehead -including the bear- before getting comfortable and closing his eyes.

There will be plenty to do later. He needed to rest while he could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What age do you picture the jarvises to be? Im thinking maybe early thirties while howard and maria are late forties or older. (Trying to lock in their looks in my mind my mind, to help with my mental timeframe/timeline (aka figuring out what year i want to place the story in))


	9. Bucky Bear and Patents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edwin helps Tony fill out a patent form and we find out more about what makes the Bucky Bear special.

Edwin and Ana listen as Tony answers questions about the circuit board he created as Edwin fills in his responses on the patent form. Tony even excitedly demonstrated the device, hooking it up to a navigator Ana retrieved from the car at Tony’s request. The little boy was so proud to show off his device, to know people actually cared about what he did and what he had to say, and to know people believed in him, he felt a demonstration must be done, and who were Ana and Edwin to deny him such a simple requests.

  
“And when this is patented,” Edwin asks the little boy now sitting down next to him and fixing his robot dog, “and it will be patented for sure, which company would you like me to talk to on your behalf to sell it to?”

The little boy shrugs. “Won’t Howard get it?”

“Only if you want to. This is your invention and therefore you get to decide what happens with it.” When Tony seems to only be confused, he continues. “How about this Ducky? We can go talk to aviation companies, and we’ll reach out to navigator systems that everyday people use.”

The boy nods. “And the military?” he looks over to his special Bucky Bear toy that is watching from his own chair and booster seat. It broke Edwin’s heart a little every time when he saw the sadness and worry on Tony’s face ever since Howard in his drunken anger just what happened to his dear Bucky on his last mission.

“Of course. I’m sure your Bucky would like that.” He reaches out and ruffles Tony’s hair. “He will be so happy that you want to help bring everyone home.”

“Yes he will sweetheart,” Ana adds as she comes over with a snack of apples and banana slices. “He would be thrilled to know his special buddy is helping the world.” She brushes her fingers along the bear’s uniform, a uniform she made from one of the real Bucky’s uniform that Howard let moths get to and was just going to throw away. She had planned to restore it since she knew how special he was to Tony, but after Howard told the boy that Bucky died and no one would look for him, she immediately set out to make the uniform for a commercially sold Bucky Bear and made it look just like the true Howling Commandos uniform. She even went further to make a suit and original issued army fatigues and dress uniform – once again from old clothes Howard let get ruin.

Edwin when even further and got all things related to Bucky (and a few from Steve) and actually went to preserving the items for when Tony got older. And in that boxes were Sergeant Barnes’ original dog tags that now were worn by the bear. They left the bear in Tony’s room while he slept and made its seem like a spirit had left it. It was give in a simple box, wrapped in brown paper and twine as they did in the forties, and it the box with the bear and the outfit was a simple but powerful note:

_I will always be here for you, ‘til the end of the line._

And thus, the spirit of Bucky was born. Because from there, they would leave notes every now and then with the solider for tony to find and encourage him; all of them they came up with but had Edwin’s friend from the special forces write them so Tony wouldn’t recognize the handwriting, that Tony kept in the very same box.

_I love science and technology! Glad to know you do to._

_Little guys with heart – I’ll always have their backs._

_Four years ago today, the world gained hope and got better. Four years ago my Tony was born. Happy birthday._

_Don’t be afraid to follow your heart and dreams. It can be scary but it would be even scarier to lose what makes Tony special._

“So,” Edwin’s voice forces her out of her memories and back to the present, “what name would you like to submit the patent under?”

“Anthony Jarvis,” Tony answers without missing a beat.

“Of course dear boy.” His voice comes out a little choked by his emotions. He puts down the name and adds his as well in case patent issues arise so he can deal with them on Tony’s behalf.


	10. A New Mark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony receives a third mark.

Tony receives his third mark when he is six years old. Edwin had noticed it when he was helping Tony get ready for a gala he was being forced to go to by Howard and Maria. It was a part of an agreement the Jarvises put forth after Maria had yelled at him because he wouldn’t help Howard build a guiding system for NASA to help with reentry. Howard had try to bully him into it, but Jarvis had stopped it real quickly, which made Maria try to force him and only ended up with a knife to her throat by a furious Ana the moment Maria tried to lock Tony inside a closet.

After that, they forced the Starks to give away their rights and allow Edwin and Ana to adopt him. Part of the agreement was to ensure Tony still had his rights to Stark Industries and their money, but unfortunately it meant that Tony still had to go to events for appearance; heaven forbid people find out that the son of a powerful family preferred to spend time with servants. That he chose them as his family.

“Ducky, when did you get this mark?” Edwin gently touches Tony’s shoulder.

“What mark?” Tony tries to turn his neck enough to see it but couldn’t so he runs to his full length mirror and grabs a handheld so he can see it for himself, leaving Edwin to fondly watch from his spot near the bed. The mark itself was a little bruised which can sometimes happen when a mark shows up, but was otherwise impeccable. There was an atom symbol with three electrons orbiting the center but instead of a normal nucleus there was an open-ended wrench. “Dad. What does this mean?”

“It means either tonight or within a year’s time you will be meeting another soulmate. You will know when it turns black. And as you get to know them, it will take on another color or colors to show what type of bond was formed.”

“But I always had color for yours and Mom’s.”

“Yes, because our bond is so strong. But remember how the white showed up when you were four?” Tony nods and so he continues. “Its because another bond was formed. Red is for romance, partnership is green, enemies is silver.” He steps over and touches his mark on Tony that sat just below the bend of his left elbow. “Family is purple and was the first color to show up for us. Blue was next and means friendship. The last color is white and means inspirational. Sometimes it goes only one way like your admiration for Tesla - and if he was still alive, I have no doubt his mark would be on you – and so only one side might carry the white while the other carries yellow to show a mentor like status.” Edwin rolls up his sleeve to show off his mark for Tony that sat in the same spot (below the bend of his left elbow). “But they are so extremely rare that most people do not even know yellow exists as a possible color.” He shows Tony his mark, pointing out the parts that are white. “Because both sides tend to look up to one another.”

“You look up to me?” Tony looks up to him with so much awe and doubt that he curses letting the Starks have any part of him to the point that Tony couldn’t see his own worth.

Edwin kneels down. “Of course I do. You love so greatly even to those undeserving. You are so smart and use your genius for good. Even when scared you still do the right thing. And you make Ana and me so happy and feel so loved, and that alone is worth of admirations.” In the next instant his arms were full of Tony and he pulled him tight and sits down so the boy could be in his lap.

“Dears, we – oh.” Ana cuts herself off when she sees them and without question comes over and joins them in their cuddle. It is after several minutes when Tony slowly pulls away that they let go. “That was a good cuddle. What brought it on.”

“Tony got a new mark today.” Edwin smiles at her and they speak with their eyes that they would go get him a book on soulmarks.

“That’s wonderful. May I see it?” she asks Tony. “Of course it is up to you whether you show your marks or not, even to the bonded person.”

Tony giggles. “I don’t mind showing you two my marks.” He turns to show her the mark. “Its an Atom and a wrench.”

“I see.” She hums. “They must like science and fixing things.”

“Why?”

“Marks reflect a part of them. It isn’t always clear what the symbols mean but scientists are getting good at figuring them out. And I’ll get you a book on marks when you are at the party. Edwin’s mark is a reflection of his British side and the belief of always being a gentleman. Mine are daffodils because the represent rebirth and new beginnings.” She kisses Tony’s forehead before giving Edwin a kiss. “You two are the only ones with my mark. You both gave me hope when I felt nothing would be good again. And gave me a start on a new chapter in my life. A girlfriend then wife. And then a mother.” This time it was Ana’s turn to have an armful of Tony and a new cuddle session began.


	11. Bucky Bear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We find out a little more what makes Bucky Bear so special.

Bucky bear watches over the sleeping form of his young charge. He isn’t exactly sure when he would became aware of the world around him, but he knew it happened while in Tony’s care, and that alone was enough to make him want to look out for the little boy. His desire grew into a need the more time he spent with Tony and saw the bruises he hid from the humans, the tears spilt onto his fur and clothes, and the secrets whispered in the safety of darkness.

He hated himself for being in the Jarvis side of the manor when Howard hit Tony and destroyed TAD. When the Jarvises talked to Tony about it with him in the room, it was then that Bucky Bear made the connection to all the bruises before. Howard was a bad man.

He wasn’t sure what he could do but he knew he had to do something. If he didn’t he would fail Tony more than he already had. Because, in his mind, if he truly did his job of protecting Tony, Tony would have told him who caused all the bruises, and he wouldn’t have found out after the little boy’s spirit was broken.

But damned if he wasn’t proud of the phoenix that was Tony. Always coming out stronger and better than what tried to destroy him.

And its with that determination that Bucky Bear tried to figure out what he could do besides fight off the nightmares and be the keeper of his secrets. 

He started out with simple things like writing his own notes to Tony whenever he was left near paper.

_Good job._

_Smart guy._

_Dollface._

Simple notes and would wipe him out, and he would slumber when Ana and Edwin could watch over his charge. Eventually the notes grew to be longer.

_I’m so proud of you darling. You figure out the problem and fixed it._

_Please be careful. You are important to me and I don’t want to see you hurt._

_You deserve better than them. Let Edwin and Ana be mom and dad. They love you. We love you._

Ana and Edwin were surprised when they saw his notes but said nothing. They knew Tony needed them just as much as he needed theirs. What the did instead was leave pieces of scrap paper laying about as if jot down their thoughts but he knew it was for him.

He was thankful they did too, because when Maria was yelling at Tony, insulting him and such to get him to help Howard, he was able to use whatever magic he possessed and wrote a note begging the Jarvises for help. Begging them to help Tony.

Bucky had to watch in horror as Maria grabbed tight to Tony’s arm and surely bruise him, and she marched him towards the closet. He screamed, begging his cotton-filled body to move. And while ot didn’t work and no one heard him he watched as the carpet lifted and made Maria stumble, threads wrapping around her heel to slow her down.

It wasn’t enough so he ordered the lock to not work, for the door to not shut.

And it worked. Maria couldn’t get to door to close properly, could not get the lock to engage.

Then Ana was there, a knife to Maria’s throat and angry Hungarian cutting as sharply as the knife surely could. The only thing stopping the knife was Ana’s own despite actions to get to Tony and whisk him off to safety. To not expose Tony to death.

Bucky Bear cuddled with Tony after that horrible event, Edwin having retrieved him, and he whispered his own desires to Tony.

**Let them adopt you. Stay with the Jarvises and me. We love you.**

And he did. Bucky Bear was happy. Tony was safe.

He was glad every time he got to be awake and see Tony know more love than hatred. Sure he wished Tony didn’t have to go to events with the Starks but he could see the reason to keeping that tie so he could have his birth right. He deserved it and so much more. Just like the soulmark that adored the not so little Tony’s shoulder now that he could make out from his spot on the bed as Tony continued to cuddle Ana and Edwin. 

Bucky Bear prays that it is a bond that is filled with care. 

If not, Bucky would truly test what he could do even if it means giving up his own life to see it done.

_‘Til the end of the line._


	12. Maria

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maria starts to put a plan together.

Maria watches with disguised disgust at all the people fawning all over Tony. Not only was he born with the marks of servants, he continuously chose their company over his parents, and now he continuously to build for the betterment of SI. The the real icing on the cake was that those same servants were able to blackmail her and her husband into losing custody of him. Sure they could have fought it, used many lawyers to make it so, but what said servants knew all about your dirty laundry, things could have been far worse than losing a child and a good portion of money.

Not that she really cared for being a mother, even when pregnant, only did it because it was expected of her to produce an heir. No, what mattered was that the little people got one over on them and continued to keep leverage so they couldn’t act. They dared to take something that rightfully belonged to her. 

She suffered through pregnancy, through childbirth. She had to suffer through Howard for his riches and fame. Maria refused to go through it again. So she’ll just have to take Tony back.

She knew she could do it, all she had to do is buy her time. Tony desired praise and attention to not seek it out. And with the deal Howard made, he was obligated to attend all major events with them, so she would have ample time to fix the mistakes of her husband.

Tony was the future. Far smarter than her husband. And she refused to give up her golden goose. She made it this far, she can sure make it further.

And with that thought she makes her way over to where Tony animatedly talks with some scientist that she vaguely remembers seeing somewhere before. “Bambino,” she greets her son, “what has you so excited?” Maria gently puts a hand on his shoulder.

“Mrs. Stark,” the scientist greets with a slight German accent, “Young Tony here and I were talking about the implications of what it would it take to create energy shields for the men and women who protect our fair country. It is quite fascinating.” 

“Yes. Antonio has an extraordinary mind, Mr…..”

“Dr. Josef Reinstein,” he offers his hand for her to shake. “I am a chemist and I also dabble in medicine.”

“And are you apart of Stark Industries?”

“No. I have worked on a consultant like bases in the past. Today I am in attendance to see what the future might hold.” Josef winks at Tony, making the boy grin. “But you’ll have to excuse us. I was just about to take Tony over to meet my partner.

“Oh, of course.” Her media smiles blooms as she takes her hand away. “Enjoy the party.”

“Thank you.” He gestures for Tony to go first and follows behind, his body blocking him from Maria’s view. 

She waves down a waiter for another glass of wine. Dr. Josef Reinstein may have put a wrinkle in her plan, but she was far from done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you don't know the name Dr. Josef Reinstein is, i advise googling him. ;)


	13. New School, New Start

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony starts at a new school, furthering himself away from the Stark name

It’s only days later receiving the third mark that Tony gets a fourth mark, this time it was on his foot. He thought it was fitting since Edwin and Ana had enrolled him in a new school that was better suited for gifted students. He was also going to be moved up into fourth grade to hopefully give him more of a challenge.

“Édesem,” Ana knocks on his door, “are you ready to go?” Tony could hear how nervous she was, not only because it was a new school, but because it was the first time they got to act as his parents in their official capacity. They were all worried that someone might recognize him, even though his time in the limelight had dwindled drastically in the past year as the legally surrounding his adoption took place and Howard tried to hide the fact his heir was smarter than him and was the mind bend many of Sis updates and inventions.

“Almost Mama.” Tony takes the chance to make sure his school uniform is nice and neat, and double checks that he has everything he’ll need in his bag. Giving Bucky Bear a hug, he takes his bag and heads out to greet Ana. “How do I look?”

“So handsome baby.” She pulls him into a hug. “So proud of you.”

“I haven’t done anything yet.”

“But you will. And you have. Starting a new school with only a few months before the winter break. Starting in fourth grade. Being my sweet and lovely son.” She pulls away, a gentle smile on her lips.

“That alone is enough to make us proud.” Edwin comments from his spot a little further down the hall. “it is time to go Jarvis Family.” He holds himself with dignity like a knight of old, trying to keep himself from blubbering like a child. It was worse than when he originally saw Tony off to school when je started pre-school. Then he was just a servant as paparazzi swarmed the poor boy and his parents who attended for the photo-op and publicity. Now, he gets to take Tony to school as father and son. He gets to see Tony off to his class and not have to worry about anyone seeing him giving Tony a hug bye and words of encouragement. Tony was a Jarvis now.

Tony runs to give him a hug, and Edwin holds him tight, uttering praise and well wishes to the boy. Ana joins them for a family hug before both adults force themselves to get moving, each holding one of Tony’s hand all the way to the car.

“What are you excited the most about?” Ana asks as Edwin drives, hoping to keep Tony from being nervous.

“Lab time.” Tony’s response gets knowing chuckles and questions to get him to elaborate. “While we will be supervised, Marvel Prep encourages students to try out their ideas. They provide so much material to work with and don’t care if you don’t get it right the first time.”

“That’s right. Trial and error is a good thing.”

“Of course,” Edwin adds, “As Tesla said, “a new idea must not be judged by its immediate results”. If it was, nothing would truly be invented for everyone who have given up before success was ever reached.”

“And even then, things can always be improved.” 

Edwin pulls into the school parking lot and the family heads for Tony’s classroom, and Ana and Edwin watch him walk in before heading back out, even though they wished to join him. But Tony had asked them not to baby him since he will be in fourth grade and they honored it.

Tony heads to a desk where a boy who didn’t look much older than him was sitting at. “Hi, I’m Tony Jarvis.” He holds out his hand.

The boy shakes his hand. “Bruce Banner.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Édesem - ‘my sweet’


	14. A New Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony finds a new friend in Bruce.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @ExistentialCrisis713 made me crack up with one of their comments, and it made me want to write a new chapter.

Tony takes notes as fast as he can, not too worried since Bruce already promised to share his notes and the teacher, Professor McCoy, already promised to give him a copy of all the notes since he new from personal experience how hard it is for a kid so young to keep up on notes in a higher level class. He just asked Tony to try his best and to be attentive to the lecture.

Bruce also had a similar arrangement, but had been in the class long enough that he had gotten better at taking notes. He was also only three months older than Tony, so Tony already planned on becoming his friend, though he wasn’t too sure how to go about achieving that. In his old life, throwing money helped, but even them too many people liked to use him for what he could give, so he never really figured out how to make friends. All he had was Ana, Edwin, and his Bucky.

“How are you doing?” Bruce asks as they are given free time before moving onto the next subject. 

“I’m fine.” His response was one that Howard drilled into him. It wasn’t like he was doing poorly but he never had to write so much so fast so his hand was hurting. He knew he’d have to figure out a solution for it soon.

“I struggled at first. Started using short hand to keep up.”

“Shorthand like w and a slanted line for with?”

“Yeah!” Bruce grabs his bag and starts digging through it until he produces a folded up paper. “I created a list of various shorthand. It contains common one, and ones I came up with for consistently used words. You are welcome to use it or I can help you create your own, if you want.” A slight blush tints his cheeks, worried he is coming on too strong and showing just how desperate he is for a friend.

“Thank you.” Tony takes the folded paper and looks it over. “This looks more than adequate and doesn’t need any modification.”

“Everything can be improved. Progression is made when people see what still needs to be done.” Bruce nods as if proud of his words until he sees the shocked look on Tony’s face. “W- what?” He hunches in on himself a little.

“Did you just paraphrase Marie Curie?”

“Yeah?”

“That’s great!” Tony grabs his arm and gives it a little shake. “Madam Curie was a genius! Though I myself an more partial to Nikola Tesla. I want to be an engineer, an inventor.”

Bruce smiles. “I love science. I want to go towards chemistry or physics. I like Niels Bohr when it comes to physics.”

“We’re gonna be science bros.” Tony grins widely and watches its mirror image on Bruce’s face.

Later that night, Tony sees the soulmark on his foot had turned to black with parts of blue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the quote Bruce paraphrased to suit the Situation: (neither Tony or Bruce are good with compliments)
> 
> One never notices what has been done; one can only see what remains to be done. - Marie Curie


	15. Scientific Process

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Bruce hangout and while their parents expected them to play games, science is far more fun

Tony studies rigorously over the soulmark book, trying to parse the information more systematically so that he could put it on a more linear path and in doing so, deduct the purpose of soulmarks. He knew it was illogical for every vital person to be marked upon one’s skin, so how was it decided what marks appear? And with Tony’s mark that appeared before his birth, was he affected by it and thus boxed in to only one path or where marks more ambiguous until personality and life changing decisions were made? It all felt so illogical and aggravating when his life so far has been dictated by his marks, specifically his connection to his chosen parents.

“If marks were solely based on vital people, wouldn’t I have the marks of the Starks, or at least mom and dad have them?” he asks Bucky Bear who was sitting next to him. “As much hate as there is, Howard played an important role in keeping Dad out of jail, keeping Mom from being deported. I am also the heir of fortune and company, so wouldn’t it be reasonable to assume that the three of us would carry their marks? But instead I have an unknown mark sitting upon my shoulder, and another that fully formed two days ago to a person i only met this week” Tony sighs and lets his head fall onto the book. “it doesn’t help that while soulmarks have been around throughout human history and yet the science is more in its infancy than it should be when the world is so obsessed with them.”

_You need an expert._

Tony felt something flutter against his ear and smacks it away as he picks his head up to look at it. “Paper?” he grabs it and reads the note. “I do need one but where could I find one?” He watches as more words appear 

_Try Cornell and Harvard University. They always do research._

“You’re so smart Bucky Bear.” Tony boops his nose. “I’d study you but I fear losing you and your ability.” Tony is interrupted from commenting more when Edwin announces he has a guest and he rushes out to greet them

“Hello Tony.” Bruce greets with a shy smile from his spot next to his mom Rebecca.

“Hi Brucie. Hi Mrs. Banner.”

“Dear, you may call me Rebecca.”

“Alright.” He nods. “Hi Rebecca.” She chuckles a little and greets him in kind before excusing herself to stand with Ana and encouraging the boys to go play or do science together.

“Wanna see my mark?” Tony asks as the boys head to Tony’s room. He knew Bruce was very curious explore their bond since, like Tony, their only bond so far have been to their parents. “It fully showed through two days ago like I said.”

“Your’s fully showed yesterday. I wonder if there is a reason behind the slower appearance? I’m sure we could find some studies that have conducted why bruising or clouding happens and how long it takes to disappear.”

Tony opens the door to his room and urges Bruce in and up onto his bed so both of them could show on the marks on their feet. “I wonder if placement has any significance. All I have read so far has only really looked into the marks themselves and that seems like poor science.”

“Indeed. It’s as if they are testing to fit their desires rather than for the scientific purpose.” Bruce stares down at his foot where the golden ratio and galaxy background rests before looking over at Tony’s foot and seeing a radiation symbol embedded into a tree that looked like it was a willow. “I wonder if its because of the types of sciences I’m drawn to that the radiation symbol is for.”

“How would you explain the tree then or any of the parts in my mark?” Tony quickly gets up to grab the soulmark books and return with them. “According to these, nature tattoos can mean anything for relaxation to environmentalist to living in nature. Its only as vague as dream interpretation.”

“And the science symbols? Let me guess, science.” He rolls his eyes when Tony nods. 

“Cornell does research and studies on them that haven’t been published in books like these but rather periodicals.”

“We would have to travel into the cities for that. The library around here would not carry such items.” Bruce puts his sock and shoe back on and Tony follows suit. “We need to ask our parents. The sooner the better.” They head back out, chatting about why they got each other’s mark. “You know, I’m glad its with you. Not many people our age get me.”

“Yeah. Dad and Mom never talked to me like a child. They encourage me to follow my genius, but sometimes it makes me feel older than those around me and that I have to dumb myself down to “act my age”.” He does air quotes around the last part.

“Completely.” He holds out a fist. “Science bros?”

“Science bros.” Tony fist bumps him and they both grin.


	16. Enter the Soldat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hydra wakes the Soldier and sends him on a mission

He woke up and felt like the world was off. He couldn’t remember where he is, his only thought was that he was clearly somewhere he shouldn’t be. He belonged somewhere with warmth, and smiles, and share secrets, and not in a room full of coldness all the way from the air to the metal table to the people filling the room.

“Soldat,” barked a man in all black with marking that showed he was a captain.

“Ready to comply.” He really wasn’t but the words have been beaten into him. His mind might be a mess but he knew that the only way he would respond like that was if they forced him to.

“Here is your mission. You have two weeks to get there, investigate, and report back to your handler.” The man threw a folder at the soldier that he barely caught in time; his response time was down fifty percent, limbs to stiff to respond properly. 

The captain turns his attention to a man in a lab coat and a female in combat gear. “See that his arm in ready and his gear put together. Do not fail me.” He turns about face and heads out the door only seconds before the soldat is punched in the stomach and a taser is shocking the exposed skin of neck. 

Hands grab at him and shove him onto the metal table before he is strapped down – one across his forehead, three across his chest, and several strapping down his limbs. It was followed up by a gag being shoved into his mouth and buckled behind his head as the scientist pries open metal plates and starts digging in.

_Shit that hurts! Why does that hurt!_

The man looks down and is horrified to see that his left arm was made of metal and that it was him theu were digging in to.

_How?! Why?! Oh fuck that hurts! Make it stop! Make it stop!_

He tries to pull away but can’t and is once again tased, this time held twice as long that he could smell his flesh starting to burn. The only thing to stop it was the scientist yelling that he might get shocked to and that the Captain would kill them if the Asset could not perform its mission. It was his only saving grace from the guards. but left him at the mercy of the man in the lab coat who did not care if he caused pain.

After an agonizing thirty minutes, the soldier was released and ordered to get in his gear and head out for his mission. He would be taking a plane so he would be able to read what his mission was on the flight.

_Death. Murder._

Screams fill his ears, his hands coat with ghost blood, as more memories surface. The people who had him turned him into a monster and he was helpless to fight them. Random words controlled him when he disobeyed them, and punishments were far more severe. Even when he did right, they would still beat him, but somehow it was less. And less was better.

The soldier grabs his gun and slings it over back, and grabs his bag (stuffing the file inside) and heads for the hanger. He snags a meal pack and munches on it before slipping his mask into place. It muzzled him but it also kept his expressions hidden away from the octo-people.

_Hydra. Dumbasses are called Hydra and instead of a dragon they are an octopus with a skull head. Morons._

The plane he boarded was a cargo plane, making him wonder what else Hydra was up to but did not voice his wondering, nor did he snoop. Instead he just sat down at the end of the benches, away from everyone else, and pulls the file out and onto his lap.

**Mission: investigate**

  
**Parameters: **  
**• Stealth or infiltration**  
**• Howard Stark**  
**• Operation: Rebirth**

**Find the notes on the super soldier serum and take any that have already been created. Also took for any information pertaining to the first super soldier. **  
**Kill anyone necessary to maintain your invisibility.**


	17. Confusing Instincts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Soldat begins his mission

The soldier found it too easy to get into Stark’s lab, it was as if the man was too cocky and put too much stock into his genius to think someone was capable of getting in. Hell, he was sure a child could get in, which for some reason sent a shiver of fear through him. It sent the need to protect through him, but who was he suppose to protect? Some imaginary kid?

_Small. Big heart._

He frowns as his internal, yet broken voice. He wasn’t even sure it was his or that of a ghost with how separated he felt from it. The Asset would have to let his handlers know about the malfunction. But then again……. It wasn’t as if he was breaking rules by keeping it a secret. He was still functioning properly after all. He was still fulfilling his mission, something he was doing even now even as his thoughts turned inwards, his training making it possible to search and sneak around undetected as seconded natured as breathing. And so he snapped away with a polaroid camera he had been given and had the chance to use on a mission prior – he has taken a few unnecessary photos of a place in France that had felt familiar but didn’t know why, and then hid them away in an underground bomb shelter he had taken from some scientist after he killed him.

Hydra knew of the scientist and of his house, but only the Soldat knew about the secret space hidden in forest after watching him for a few days. He had also killed some of the scientist close comrades on Hydra’s order because he has posed them a great threat for he was close creating a formula with great healing powers to thee point it could raise the dead. And so he had to die, and his house and research in in it burned until the ash scattered in the wind.

_Someone’s coming._

The Asset quickly climbed up onto a table and pulled himself up into the rafters before moving to a spot drenched in darkness and hidden by inventions haphazardly strewn around the lab.

“The boy still will not make you anything?” A balding man in a black suit and bow tie, entered with a man he knew was Howard Stark from the mission report. He tried to give off the air of friendliness but it was fully a show but Stark was too self-absorbed to realize it.

“Oh he will make me things, but refused to make anything of use.” Howard grab a random item and throws it across the room where it clangs loudly and resounds in the room. “He just wants to make things that help,” he says in a tone that indicates mocking.

“What a useless child.” The bald man starts wandering the room, looking around in an appease on casualness but the Soldier knew was calculating and surely looking for something. “If only you didn’t give your servants him.”

“They were blackmailing me Obadiah!”

“Because you gave them the power over you! You let them know things they should have never known!” He steps closer, his presence intimidating the other man who tried to hide it but the other occupants in the room knew. They could see the coward before them. “But,” the man smiled, “perhaps I could sway the boy. He is still within the mansion?”

“Yes.”

“Then I should go see him.” Obadiah strolls for the door. “Don’t forget to build me my weapon. I expect it in three days. Or you’ll regret it.” The man left, leaving a chill in the room so very like Hydra. 

_Save him! Save him!_

Panic seized him and as quickly as he could without making noise he makes his way out of the rafters and into a secret door he noted earlier to find the boy. 

_Don’t let the man get him. His parents Ana and Edwin will save him if you can’t. Just warn them. Please._

His stride got longer as he forced himself not to run, less he be heard. He would break the parameters to save the boy, whoever he was. No child deserved to be hurt. He may be a monster but he refused to harm a child when he had even the slightest control on his mind.

The soldier followed the path to where he could hear a child’s voice and pushes on the door. When it wouldn’t budge, he turned so he could ram the door with his metal shoulder. The damage it would take would be minimal and it would be worth it. Beyond worth it.

He keeps at it until he realizes a running start would help, and backs off quickly to get some space. Taking a deep breath he runs at the door and throws all his weight into is, breaking the door and tumbling on top of some sort of dresser that splintered under his force.

The solider looks up to see guns pointed at him by two people with the fiercest expressions he had ever seen and with such determination that he easily assessed them to be a threat four if not greater.

And behind them, young boy with bambi eyes.


	18. Before the Intruder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We find out what the Jarvis family were up to before the Soldat shows up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because the comments left by Opal_The_Bat_Demon and Juliana18 made me so happy, here's another chapter. :)
> 
> (Is there a way to truly tag them in a chapter? If so, please let me know)

Ana, Edwin, and Tony were sitting in their living room on the floor around the coffee table having a family night of playing games including the infamous Monopoly. Of course, in true Tony fashion everything came with a history lesson and his opinion as he thoroughly defeated his opponents. Sure Ana and Edwin definitely gave him a challenge, when it came to numbers they didn’t stand a chance.

“While this is a fun game, and a monopoly could allow someone to influence the government wheel for good, it is likely would be used to pressure the common man and make their lives so much harder.” Tony rolls the dice and moves his token, landing on one of his own properties. “The game itself is an example of that as Lizzie Magie created it first as Landlord’s game, Darrow just sold it – and really without consent or right – and the Parker Brother’s tricked Magie to pay her next to nothing so only the white males could make money. The got money and they get the credit and she gets nothing.”

“Édesem,” Ana cards her fingers through her son’s hair, nails scraping slightly against his scalp to sooth the agitated boy, “I wish I could tell you that people are no longer like that but it would be a lie. But what I can tell you is that there are more people out there in the world who think like you and they are fighting to make it better. And one day you will have the ability to fight against the injustice too.”

“Like Captain America?”

The Jarvises wanted to cringe at the question, not because the Captain was a bad man but because Tony had been told by Howard so many times that he would never amount to much, not like Rogers. 

“No ducky. You’ll fight for justice like Anthony Jarvis. Someone who will shape the universe, and has been since the day he was born. You will be able to stand side by side with the dear Steven Rogers, and will even surpass him.” Edwin silently offers the boy his handkerchief to wipe his eyes.

“How do you know?” the boy’s voice waivers as he asks.

“Because I know you. The Captain fought the bullies and fought for freedom. But you, you can do that and more. You can invent technology to help enrich lives anywhere from day to day items, to items that provide defense, to items that encourage exploration into various faucets of fancy. And I know you will do so without trying to bleed them dry for money.” He would have said more but his arms were suddenly full and he decided to give a kiss to the crown of Tony’s head.

“I think it’s time we switch to Candyland.” Ana says quietly as she starts cleaning up. She looks over to Edwin and they silently have a conversation to gently prod the boy for why the topic had upset him so much. They were sure it had to do with Howard, but what event set it off they weren’t sure. It didn’t help Tony tend to hide how he felt, only getting better with it with age; they were just thankful he would always eventually tell him, even if he did it in a round about way. 

They all jump when they hear a thud, and still even further as they strain their ears to discover the source, they even unknowingly held their breathes as they counted the seconds until the next banging sound was heard.

_Eight seconds_. It could be something being moved on the other side of the manor or something in the lab going off and reverberating.

_Six seconds_. The source was somewhere on the connecting wall between their side and the Stark side.

_Five seconds._ The sound louder and vibrating the tall armoire that house their game.

_Six seconds_. It was definitely coming from behind the furniture which meant someone was in the secret passage. Edwin pushes Tony away and towards the back of the couch to hide as Ana grab a gun holstered to the bottom of the coffee table – she had one hidden in a garter holster but she rather have an unknown variable and surprise for the incoming invader. 

They counted another ten seconds, and while some would think it meant the person left, they knew it wasn’t true. And so Edwin draws out the Winchester shotgun from beneath the couch, leaving his Beretta 70 in it side holster underneath his coat. Together, the married couple plant their feet and point towards the hidden door while also making sure one had Tony in their sights and the other had the front door, and steady their breathing.

The door is hit with a loud bang as if rammed by a car, and the dresser falls and the rather large intruder tumbles through the broken door and cracks the former blockade beneath his weight practically to splinters.

Fuck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Édesem = ‘my sweet’
> 
> A/n: i truly believe with Tony's genius level and expectations thrown upon him (even in the actual Marvel universe), that he would try to talk at a higher level of sophistication and with blurbs on knowledge to impress and be accepted, more than the average person his age would, but he does slip (and its an insecurity for him due to his bio parents and their world)


	19. The Standoff

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Soldier tells them why he's there and we find out that Tony has little to no self-preservation instincts even at a young age.

Tony was sure there was only two things that kept his mom and dad from shooting: 1) he was still in the room and didn’t want to traumatize him, 2) the man did not move or pull out any weapons as he stared back at them. He could tell they were trying to figure each other out and with his parents in front of him, he felt safe enough to figure out the stranger.

The first thing he notices was the goggles atop long brown hair that could frankly use a wash and a good shampoo. Second was the black mask that obscured half the man’s face and looked like the modified bottom half of a gas mask. He couldn’t see a reason for the mask, no reason for air to be cleaned enough to breathe, so why wear it?

Tony’s eyes were drawn up to stormy grey eyes and the flickered over to him every now and then as if assessing him. But unlike with Ana and Edwin, it was as if he was trying to figure out how to get him away. To protect him. A look he has seen before from his mom and dad.

“Why are you here?” Tony asks before he had even had the time to process his thoughts. “What are you trying to protect?”

“Protect?” his parents repeat and Edwin spares his a quick glance.

“Threat.” The man slowly shifts so he can kneel. “Ob-“

“Is that a metal arm?!” Tony’s eyes widen as he takes it in. How had he not noticed that before? “is that how you broke down the door and the armoire? Did you punch it or ram it?” He had so many questions that they just raddled out of him as he steps closer. “Does it cover your real arm or replace it? How strong is the metal? How much force can-“

“Enough Anthony.” Ana scolds him, her accent coming in thicker with her conflicting emotions. “The man needs time to speak.”

“Sorry.” 

“Obadiah. Heard him with Howard. Threat.” The man seemed to struggle with getting his words out as if not used to talking. Or as if he is not used to expressing his thoughts. His emotions. “The boy needs safety. Away from here.” He moves off the dresser and stands to his full height. “Quickly.”

“What did you hear?” Ana lowers her gun a little. “What are they planning.”

He shakes his head. “Never said but horror was implied.” The man got a haunted look before he was locked away. “Need to get to safety.”

“How can we trust you?”

“You can’t. I’ll leave but need you all safe. A promise.” The man’s hand twitched as he reached out a little before drawing it back. “Please.” 

Tony swore he heard anguish beneath in his tone and couldn’t bring himself to stand away from him any further. He rushes past his parents knowing he will be in trouble for it later and grabs hold of the metal hand.

A jolt courses through him, startling but not painful, and lights up both his shoulder blades. The warmth was pulsating and seemed to pierce his flesh as it drew patterns into his skin. “It’s you! You’re my mark!” Tony let’s go and pulls off his shirt in such haste he almost ripped it. He turns his head to see them, his back still heated. “Dad!”

“Black,” Edwin answers in a shaky voice, “blue and purple too.” His gun completely lowers as does Ana’s. “There’s two of them now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is shorter than normal. It just felt like a good stopping point.


	20. Temporary home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Jarvis take head of the winter soldiers warning and leave.

The soldier hid with Tony when the bald man from before shows up on the Jarvis side of the manor, careful but firm grip on the boy as he keeps them hidden but close enough to hear everything and intervene if need be. Thankfully the boy’s parents were able to keep him out with polite but no nonsense attitudes. They pointed out to him he had no right to enter their home nor see Tony. Even if Howard gave permission to go anywhere, this part of the manor was under the Jarvis name and they had every right to keep him out and every right to do whatever is necessary to protect their home and family. They all knew he would come back with less than polite manners and they quickly set about packing bags and valuable items and fled within half an hour of his visit.

Now they currently sat around a dining table in a summer home of one of Ana’s friends, sans Tony, planning how to get their stuff out and rent a place. They planned on ways to figure out what Obadiah Stane might do because while the Jarvises never liked him, he has always stayed away from anything that had to do with Tony.

They also had to figure out why two soulmarks happened when Tony met the man that calls himself Winter Soldier and why Tony was able to feel them. As far as they knew, no one has ever felt a mark being formed nor a bond forging. But for now they focus on what they could readily get answers to.

“So why were you there Mr. Soldier?” Edwin asks as he leans back in his chair a little, letting his coat slide open a little and show off that he was still armed. Ana also made to keep him in her sights even as she went about making tea and plating biscuits.

“I can’t tell you that.” The soldier tries to make himself seem less imposing, hunching his shoulders and curling in on himself and over his metal arm that rested across his lap. “I can tell you that I mean no harm to you and your family.”

Edwin could see the sincerity in the man and hear it in his voice and so he moved on. “May I know where Tony’s mark is on you?” Normally they are located in the same place but given the unusual situation surrounding the bond, he wasn’t sure. He wasn’t even sure if the soldier had a mark at all.

“What does his look like?” The soldier knew he has several but did not know who they belonged to but knew a few had activated in his time with Hydra – they were never pleased about it but he was around too many people during missions for them to locate the bonded and kill them. He was sure Tony would be safe. He’d never let them hurt him.

“His is a galaxy with a Golden Ratio on top of it. The galaxy may be hues of grey as with his friend Bruce or may have already taken color with the type of bond made.” Ana brings over the tea and cookies before rolling up her right sleeve to show Tony’s mark on her. “Jarvis has it in the same spot but on his left arm.”

“I know of it.” The man nods, and his eyes crinkle as if accompanying a smile that is unseen beneath the mask. “It lays over my heart.” He taps the spot. “I have not checked to see if color has taken over.”

“That’s alright dear. Tea?” Ana offers him a cup but the soldier declines.

“No thank you, ma’am. I cannot reveal my face. And I should leave before any trouble may show up.”

“You mean Obadiah?” asks Edwin before sipping his tea. 

“Worse. Far worse.” Ana and Edwin share a look but do not push the subject. “I will return with more information on Stark and Stane.” He stands to leave but a gentle and small hand on his arm stills him.

“Anthony may be grounded for the stunt he pulled, but at least say goodbye to him.” Ana hands him one of the treats to take with him to Tony. “And I will make you a couple sandwiches to go in the mean time, ok?”

He nods. “Yes ma’am.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this was shitty. I have had a shitty past few days and i feel like its bleeding in to everything. But i also didn't want you all to wait too long for a new chapter.


	21. The solider and the boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The soldier spends a little time with Tony

The soldier heads for the boy’s room and as he does he hears Ana and Edwin arguing if it’s the right thing to do. He may have a bond to Tony but they cannot, beyond a shadow of a doubt, prove Tony was safe with him (Edwin was against it, but Ana had some faith in him). And honestly, he feels more incline to agree with Edwin. He knew what he was capable of, he knew what Hydra could do. It would honestly be for the better that he just left.

And yet he still found himself knocking on Tony’s door who immediately opened it before dragging him inside. “About time you came and saw me Winter.” The door is shut behind them and he is ushered over to the bed where some bear is.

‘I should stab it,’ the soldier thinks. ‘Judgemental little shit. Just staring and watching.’ He swore he heard it laugh but Tony gave no indication that he heard anything.

“Are you going to let me take a look at your arm?” The young boy pulls out screwdrivers seemingly out of nowhere. If he hadn’t been trained to witness miniscule details, it would have appeared to be magic and not that he had one tucked into his sock or hidden along the waistband of his pants, tucked just right that he could bend easily and no one would see it. It made something inside him puff with……

He frowns as he tries to access what is going on inside him. Weapons don’t have feelings and in the span of less than twenty-four hours, he has felt several things. 

Clearly he was malfunctioning.

“I promise I won’t hurt you,” the boy says quietly but with a lot of sincerity. “I won’t even do anything except open the panels and see how it functions. And then I can make you a better one some day.”

_Hydra will never know. And it would make him happy._

The soldier holds out his arm. “Don’t change anything.” The boy clambers up onto his knees, practically gluing himself to the soldier’s side as he starts unscrewing and popping off panels.

“I’m going to take off all the paneling in the bicep first because it seems to be what interlocks the elbow to keep it into place so they wouldn’t need screws and lose mobility. Of course that is nothing compared to those making up the wrist and hand.” Tony informs him of each step he takes, sometimes talking to himself instead as he categorizes things and things about how he can make things better.

It kept the soldat calm to hear, having no connection to any scientist of Hydra made it possible to actually sit there for maintenance review. It also helped that he was being as gentle as possible. It also helped that he was so tiny. “How old are you?” he asks out of the blue, stopping Tony’s babble and freezing his hands as he looks up at the soldier.

“Six and three-quarters? Why?” His brows furrow. “Just ‘cause I’m young doesn’t mean I am stupid.”

“I didn’t think that.” He shakes his head. “I just want to know about you. More than your name and your mark.”

“Oh,” the boy blushes and gets back to poking around inside the arm. “my best friend is Brucie. I’m in the fourth grade. I’ll probably skip another grade soon. Ana and Edwin are my parents but the Starks are blood. I don’t like them much but I also want them to like me. It’s stupid I know. My favorite color is red. I like making and fixing things. One day I’m gonna help the world. Just like Captain Rogers.”

“Rogers is a punk,” he grunts out immediately. “Only does what he wants. Might have good results but it’s always about what he wants. You’ll be better than him.”

“Oh yeah, and how do you know that?”

“Any man who takes a fake title and uses it to break rules and acts like he earned it is nothing but a punk.”

Tony seems to ponder his words as he puts the panels back on and screws them in. “He really didn’t did he? Never finished basics….Howard always said Steve was his greatest creation.”

“Then he’s an asshole.”

“Bad word, Winter bear.” Tony laughs. 

“And he’s stupid.” The soldier continues as if he wasn’t interrupted. “Anyone who thinks something unfinished and was more luck than anything is just plan stupid.”

“Yeah.” Tony grabs the cookie the soldier brought earlier and has been just resting in his flesh hand this whole time. “I’m gonna be better than them.” The boy smiles as him and he returns it, even with his mask still on.

He’ll have to report his malfunctions later.

********  
Bucky Bear watches the two, itching to join them but unable to move.

_That’s my punk you’re talking about. But you made Tony happy. I’ll forgive you this time. Only this time._

The bear judges the soldier when he leaves, telling him how stupid he is to do so, when stormy eyes find his own, sending chills through his cotton-filled body, and promise a slow death if the bear should continue its tirade.


	22. House Hunting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Jarvis family go house hunting with the Banners.

The Jarvis family had been staying at the summer home for about a week before they decided it was in no way suitable for their needs. Yes Edwin and Ana have had far less, and Tony adjusts well enough but it wasn’t realistic. They are not able to make any changes, Tony doesn’t have space to have a workroom and his parents refused to hinder his creativity. It also created a long commute to take Tony to school and limited his time with Bruce. And the list goes on.

Because of everything, the Jarvis family found themselves sitting around the kitchen island and house hunting Saturday morning with the Banners as Rebecca had gone through the process only months ago when she left her husband – though she could only afford a small apartment, much to her dismay.

Ana tosses away a flyer to a house too isolated. “Space is nice, but there is a thing as too much space. You should be able to know your neighbors will call the cops if something goes wrong or they hear you scream.” 

“A gate house or community would also be a plus. Preferably the house so we can also have some privacy bushes along the fence.” Edwin combs through the paper looking for something that would check all the boxes.

“Five bedrooms, a basement, open floor plan…” Rebecca mumbles through the desired features as she helps with the flyers. “And money is no problem?”

“None at all. Ana and I saved since before our marriage and while we worked as servants. We did well for ourselves.”

“A nest egg is a wonderful thing.” Rebecca smiles, though a little sadly. It was her scrimping and hiding money that gave her the funds to escape with Bruce in the middle of the night and paid for a crummy apartment. But they were happy and she was able to find good , honest work, far away from Brian Banner.

“It is. And –“ 

The adults were interrupted when Bruce and Tony came running in, Tony talking faster than anyone of them could process and understand, and Bruce shyly behind him but with a huge grin. “We found it!” Tony slaps a paper down. “it’s perfect for all of us.”

Ana raise an eyebrow before calmly picking up the paper. She scans the image and the written info.

+4,500 square feet home: five bedroom two story house, five full baths open floor plan, large and updated kitchen, large dining room, large living room, sitting room, finished basement, three-car insulated garage, fenced property around two acre lot.  
+1,500 square feet guest house behind main house with two bedrooms and a full bath, large kitchenette, and living room

She returns her attention to her son, watching him bounce in place, practically vibrating with anticipation, hope, joy, and a little bit of worry. Worry she bet came from him thinking he overstepped, something left over from time with the Starks. 

Ana hands it over to Edwin to look at. “It’s amazing,” she smiles at the boy, “we should definitely make a call to go see it. Thank you for bring this to our attention.”

Bruce nudges Tony and gives him a pleading look. “Bruce and I thought that maybe there could….” He shoves his hands in his pockets to hide their shaking, “we thought maybe him and his mom could move into the guest house. That way they can have their own space, but nearby. And it’s a better place for all us because we can be safe.”

“Tony and I can add camera and high security features a biometric lock to the doors for even more security.”

“Baby,” Rebecca calls out softly.

“We did the math! The cost of rent for a home like that wouldn’t be much more than what you pay now mom. And Tony said I could use his lab to invent, and I can contribute the money I earn to rent and other things.”

“And I will put the patent money I got from the circuit board to help. I’ll invent more things too. I already have the blueprints for an engine going. I’m also sure I can improve the mobile phones.” His eyes widen with unshed tears. “Please Anya, Daddy. They need to feel safe too and have a nice home.”

**********  
Tony and Bruce race around the basement, talking about what should go where, how they’d divide the room so they have equal space and can easily interact with one another without difficulty and getting in one another’s way.

“Over here gets good sunlight so I could test the healing properties of plants and see if they could be applied to genetics. I theorize that it could help revitalize failing organs to a healthy level.”

“Could start with skin as it naturally replenishes itself and would show the effects faster than any other organ.”

They continue on as the parents watch fondly, before bribing them with peach cobbler a la mode to go back upstairs.

After their hour long tour, the Jarvis and the Banner put in their bid, going above the asking price to help encourage the seller in their favor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anya = mom in hungarian (according to google)
> 
> This is similar to how i picture the house
> 
> https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hvKK6MeWLXRCuvjld5rkn7BXl7Chxpc1z3t5eRv3d2pe4MXnI8ssr5QtB8O5GOv7WZfDA0x1imgOVEoy7uOEEG9qQa2S0BmYHV_KsdjSEQSbI69m3w


	23. Date Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ana and Edwin have date night.

Ana wasn’t completely sure about going on a date night, even as much as she loves her husband she couldn’t see how leaving Tony at a house that wasn’t even theirs so they only had a basic security system. Even Edwin didn’t see the reason to leave him, but Tony was forceful when he truly wanted to do what he thought would help others.

“Rebecca and Brucie will be here. You two can go spend time together.” Tony told them and handed over a piece a paper. “On here is a list of things that you can do. I took into account travel time and nothing on here is more than half an hour away. So if you are really worried, you can come home after spending at least an hour out together. You two deserve it.”

And so they found themselves getting ready for a night out: Ana wore a mint colored sleeveless hi-lo lace dress with nude color pumps. Her hair was style in a low bun, that was loose so strands of curls added texture throughout and was embellished with an emerald hairpin. She would also be taking a long black coat in case she got cold. As for Edwin, he was wearing a black pinstriped suit with a white button down and a dark purple-red tie. He would also be taking a camel colored coat. “You look beautiful.” Edwin smiles as he looks at Ana putting on the finishing touches. “How ever did I get so lucky?”

“You walked into the hotel I worked at.” She smiles at him through the mirror. “Then proceeded to court me with such chivalry I felt I won the lottery.”

“How else could I have acted when an angel found me worthy of her company and love?” He walks over and helps Ana with her necklace before giving her cheek a kiss.

“Keep talking like that, and we won’t make it to date night.” She tries to fight her blush as she lets Edwin help her with her coat. “And our dear boy truly went through a lot of effort to make this happen for us.”

“Indeed. He even gave me some of his patent money to make sure we have a good date.”

“We won’t be using it, correct?” She loops her arm in his and they start heading out their room.

“Of course not. It will go to his college fund.” They stop to check in on everyone, and make sure Rebecca had everything she needed, and then bid a good night with a kiss to each of Tony’s cheeks much to his embarrassment and happiness.  
*******  
The Jarvises found themselves at a little French bistro, tucked away in the corner for privacy that still allowed them to see out the window to glimpse the nightlife passing them by. It was interesting to see the world moving around them and being able to be still for just a moment. They each had a garden salad for beginning, followed by Coq au Vin, and Pike Quenelles with Sauce Nantua and were currently splitting a French apple tart with Calvados cream.

“Ducky was right to encourage us to go out tonight.” Edwin gets a bite of the tart on his fork and holds it up to Ana’s lips for her to take.

She smiles and takes the offered bite. “He is a genius after all.” Ana couldn’t help but steal a kiss. “Just like his dad, Edwin Jarvis.” She added his name, so he would understand she wasn’t referring to Howard. That man might have been his biological dad and may have given him his intelligence – she would ask Tony if intelligence is genetic later or do her own research – but it was Edwin and her that always encouraged it. Always made sure they helped him get what he needed to invent. Tony was theirs.

“I had to read a dictionary for that young man.” Edwin chuckles.

Ana’s mouth give a little quirk, something she noticed Tony did as well. “It was one of his favorite bedtime stories.”

“Along with stories on Tesla and now we are reading The Existential Pleasures of Engineering and Theory of Machines.” Edwin gets a distant look in his eyes, and a wistful smile, thanking any and every divine being that Tony hasn’t outgrown being read to, even if he has to sometimes explain to Edwin what is being said.

“Darling, we can have family night out tomorrow.” Ana brushes his cheek with her the fingers. “But in the mean time, we could go walk around and if we find something for him along the way…..”

“Indeed, my love.” He eats the last bite before flagging the waiter down for the bill and leaving money on top of it with a twenty percent tip. Then they were off wondering the strip of stores along with the other daters and fun-goers. It was on the later side but the stores were just as cheerful and maybe even more encouraging to peruse their aisles and shelves. And so the couple found themselves entering any establishment that tickled their fancy, buying things for themselves as well as Tony. They even found a chemistry set for Bruce and a series of books for Rebecca that she had talked about.

And right before they headed home, they found one more gift for Tony, and it was perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The books mentioned are actual books from the 70s.


	24. The Soldat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Soldat monitors Stark, and find him lacking. He also finds out something that surprises him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I totally need a better title for this chapter :/

To say that the Winter Soldier was bored would be an understatement. He has been following and investigating Stark for almost two weeks now and found nothing of interest. There was a part of him that kept telling him he should be fascinated by the science around him, but that it also somehow felt flat. It was as if Stark was trying too hard for Mad scientist, ended up more on the mad side.

  
_Where’s the flying cars?_   
_He is more a showman that a tech genius._   
_Definitely not a good mechanic._

The Soldier agreed with the voice in his head, even if he would have to tell his handlers later about it and be forced into the chair. Until then he would keep at his mission, and would go visit Tony once more before he left.

_You could stay._

He frowns behind his mask; he definitely couldn’t or else the Jarvis family would be in danger. Tony would be in danger. And he rather face Hydra and their punishments than ever put Tony in danger. He’ll lay down his life for that kid..

“Where’s my weapon?” Stane bellows as he enters the lab. Howard waves at it from his spot at some chemistry set without looking up, and Stane huffs as he goes over to check it out. “Have you found him?”

“No. Jarvis was an elite soldier for a reason. He won’t be easy to find.” Howard growls and rips some papers apart.

“Still trying to recreate the serum?” Stane laughs. “You’ll never be able to make it. You never did in the first place. You just built the machine. You’re wasting time when you should be building more.”

“It will bring is more money if I can get this right.” Howard turns to face him. “The military and president will give us anything we ask for if we can give them more super soldiers. If more were like Rogers.”

“It’s a waste.” When Howard goes to retort, Stane slaps him hard across his face. “You have spent over twenty years on this and you haven’t even gotten close to figuring it out. You’re simply wasting money.”

_He gets abused? Explains why he wanted Tony to make him weapons._

“It’s my money to waste.” Howard glares at him and raises to his full height but is still quite shorter than his opponent. “Not a single dime is spent from company money and without me there would be no company. You aren’t capable of making anything!” When it looks like he will be smacked again, he grabs a beaker of something. “I will throw this in your face Obadiah. You may be stronger but I have access to volatile chemicals and acids. You won’t walk away from this.”

The Soldat can see the man narrow his eyes as he assesses Stark. It took him longer than the asset to see that Stark wasn’t joking around. “Well played boy. But you won’t always be so lucky.” The man grabs the weapon and its blueprints and walks out.

Howard sighs and slumps back against the table. “Thank god.” He rubs his free hand against his face. “If I get this right, I won’t have to deal with him anymore.” He turns back to his experiment.  
*********  
The soldier quietly enters the Jarvis resident, not wanting to wake anyone. Carefully he makes his way to Tony’s room, his left arm cradled to his chest.  
“Tony?” he calls softly as he open the door and peers in but doesn’t see the boy in question. He learns heavily against the doorframe and closes his eyes as pain rockets through him. He is not sure what happened but his arm started sending immense pain throughout his body. The soldier was pretty sure the scientist didn’t really do anything before he was sent on his mission except to see that yes everything was functioning.

“Soldier?” Ana’s voice startles him, and shows him just how out of it he is. “What are you doing here?” she asks not unkindly.

“Arm.” He presses out. “Maintenance. Tony.” 

Ana eyes sweep over him, and whatever she sees makes her give him a look he could only attribute to sympathy and maybe even understanding, and gestures for her to follow her.

He takes in everything as they go until he finds them in the garage that apparently was soundproof because once he entered the space, he was bombarded with sounds. Loud music pressed on his brain threatening to cause pain, and metal striking metal ringing out.

Ana goes and turns the music off, drawing Tony’s attention their way. “Tony baby, he needs your help.” She gives his good arm a pat and leaves.

“Over here solider.” Tony pats a chair, and it internally freaks the soldier out but he still obeys. “I’ll make it better.”

“Can’t fix.” He bites out. “Can’t find out.”

“Who can’t?” Tony pulls open the panels. When he doesn’t get a response, he just shrugs and gets to work. “So I finished building V8 motorbike engine. It runs smoother and helps with better gas mileage. It also is quieter because not everyone can handle loud sounds. And even if they could, they risk going deaf. Dad helped me get it to the patent office, and soon I will be able to sell its blueprints to various companies. Do you have a preference? You totally seem like you would ride a bike. Bet you look really cool too. Not that you aren’t cool now…” Tony blushes as he tries to backpedal.

“Matchless G80. Ariel Red Hunter.”

It took Tony a minute to understand before a brilliant smile is beamed at him. “You like the British bikes? And if I remember right, those are beasts. Meant for speed and their powerful structure…..But I don’t think they are around anymore. I guess I’ll give rights to a good British company though.” Tony closes up the panels. “All done. Well at least what I can do without actually changing anything noticeable.”

The Soldat flexes his arm and doesn’t feel pain. Well there is some, but by far less pain than he has ever felt. “Thank you Tony.”

“Any time soulmate.” Tony grins and he grins behind his mask. “Any time.”

_He means it. He really means it....God, I love this kid._

And wasn't that a surprise?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come chat with me at  
dreamcatcher3-ao3.tumblr.com


	25. Frenemies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky Bear gains a frenemy.

Bucky Bear stares at the new animal, a white wolf with clothes made to look like the Winter Soldier’s, right down to the mask and metal arm.

He hated it.

The intruder in his space even seemed to give off an aura of smugness. But what was weird is that it didn’t seem awake all the time. It was as if it slept, truly slept. Bucky Bear slept but it was more like the lost of awareness rather than what he observed Tony doing. And what the wolf seemed to do. Or maybe it just stopped existing.

And wasn’t that a strange idea. But it still fit. Like right now, there was a feeling of a presence but not really being there. Bucky Bear wanted to knock him over while he had the chance. No one would be the wiser.

It took more effort than he wanted to admit but he moves closer to the Wolf (“His name is Winter!” Tony exclaims as he introduces the two) and nudges at it. He keeps nudging it until it flops over onto its side.

_Anticlimactic, don’t you think?_

He grumbles at the voice in his head, but he admit it was right. With an internal sigh he turns his attention back to the room. Tony should be home in a few minutes, and then maybe he could watch him invent again. Or maybe just listen to all the things Tony plans to make one day. Either way, as long as he got to be with Tony he really didn’t care. Tony was amazing.

“Dickface.” Winter growls at him as he wakes up. “No way Tony left me like this.”

“Shut it wolf. You are not worth my time.”

“And yet you’re jealous.” A haunting laughter fills the air as the wolf rights himself. “It is because you know I’m better than you?”

“You’re just new. All shiny things catch attention. But only good things last like me.”

“We shall see.” Bucky Bear got the distinct feeling the wolf was grinning behind his muzzle. The tension rose between them as they stare one another down. It was only when Tony entered the room in near tears that they turn their attention elsewhere.

“What’s wrong, Tony?” Winter calls out.

Bucky Bear sighs. “Humans can’t hear us. But you might have some abilities to try.”

“You gonna help me out?” 

“Tony is more important.”

“Agreed.”

Bucky Bear focuses and writes Tony a note across the paper Tony was ripping up 

“Buck?” Tony freezes as he notices the words. “Buck.” The boy lunges for the toy and pulls him into a tight hug. “Howard wants me to go work on something for him. He says it’s not a weapon but I bet it’s a lie. And he’ll take credit too. I don’t want to go!” Tony sobs. 

“Let’s kill this Howard.” Winter growls. “Then no more problem. If we work together, we can get it done.”

“And how do you propose that when we are nothing more than cotton?”

The questions gives the other toy pause until, “Suffocation.” It was said in such a deadpan tone and with such seriousness it made Buck laugh.

“We can put the fluff to use.” And now he was grinning.

“Winter.” Tony grabs the other toy and hugs him too. “I wish I could say no. Can I say no? I have to help with stuff or they’ll take me away.”

_ **No they won’t. They gave up their rights. Tell them no. You don’t have to put up with them.** _

Tony gasps and stops crying, and a very determined look crosses his face. “I can say no! They signed away their rights! I don’t have to put up with them!” He squeezes the two once more before running out to find his parents.

“Did you…..did you affect his feelings?”

Winter looks contemplative. “I don’t think so. I think I just made him feel stronger. Capable.”

“Thank you, I guess……….I still hate you though.”

“Likewise.”


	26. Enter Hawkeye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce and Tony are a few years older (nine), when they go to the circus and find out about Hawkeye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I googled Clint's birthday and is supposed to be June 18, 1982, but this is an AU and I can change what i want, i decided to make him older than that for multiple reasons:  
1) I think he'd make a cute adoptive older brother to Tony (and Bruce in a way).  
2) Hawkeye first appeared in the comics in September 1964.  
3) It let's me bring him in without completely dismissing him and Barney joining the circus when Clint was 13 and after their abusive father died and they ran away from a foster home.
> 
> So for this story his birthday is June 18, 1964.

Tony watches from the seats as he watches an archer shoot impossible shot after impossible shot, even with a crappy bow. It honestly looked like it was being held together by gum, duck tape, and a prayer, and the part that demanded he fix is was already working on a blueprint to make a bow and a quiver that allowed for different types of arrowheads that will allow him to pull off even crazier stunts. Tony would do all of this for the one named Hawkeye because he knew for a fact the soul mark that appear appeared on his inner right forearm two months ago couldn’t be for anyone else. Who else would a mark of a bow and arrow held by a bird be for?

“You think that’s him?” Bruce asks even though he knows his friend had drawn the same conclusion to Tony’s newest mark. They have been friends for almost three years now, so there was no way he didn’t understand Tony even without him saying anything. 

“Yeah. We might find your bondmate tonight too.” Tony gestures to the mark adorning Bruce’s inner left forearm that had appeared the same moments as his own, except was of a spider sitting on top a book as if reading it.

“One thing at a time.” Bruce replies even though he has been itching to find who it belonged to for months now. He always kept saying that something about it felt different from how he felt with Tony’s, and it was only the second mark he gained besides the one to Rebecca. “We can probably sneak out and meet him. Or state late enough so you can meet him. Mom won’t mind.” Tony nods because he knew how indulging their parents were, and Rebecca had taken over watching him at events like this since they all moved in together a little over two years now as a way to feel like she was contributing more than her salary allowed her to.

And so they found themselves among the trailers, looking for a boy a few years older than them and wearing purple among all the circus folk and attendees. “How can we lose a person wearing purple and with a bow?” Tony groans.

“Technically we didn’t lose him. We were never with nor following him to have lost him,” Bruce corrects them, while also cursing both of their heights since neither one of them was tall which made it hard to see around or over people.

“Semantics.” Tony waves him off his words as he spots someone who looks similar to Hawkeye. “Excuse me!” He pushes his way through and practically runs for the young man “Hi!” He says a little too loudly startling the other person. “I’m Tony. This is my friend Bruce.” He thumbs over his shoulder at Bruce without actually looking for him. “I’m trying to find Hawkeye.”

“What for?” The stranger narrows his eyes and folds his arms over his chest, and honestly it made Tony want to laugh. As if a skinny nine year old could pose any threat, but he also understood the concern. He even saw the same mark on this man’s bicep so he just thrusts his arm out in lieu of answer. “Oh.” The man seemed to deflate like a balloon. “My name’s Barney. Hawkeye is my brother.”

“What’s the birdie’s real name?” 

“He can tell you if he wants.” Barney points them over to a trailer further down. “He should be in his trailer. If not, try the blue and white tent near it.” 

“Thank you.” Bruce drags Tony along behind him as he takes his leave. The people with Barney had him on edge. He honestly wanted to get to his mom and get home to his experiments. “Hurry Tony. I don’t like being back here.”

“Alright. Alright.” They two start running for the trailer, and skidding to the stop when they hear arguing happening.

“Maybe we should leave.” Bruce grips Tony’s arm a little too tight. “We don’t want to be apart of that.”

“But if bird boy needs us….” He hated when people ignored his need for help, Bruce did too, so if nothing else they will start screaming for help if Hawkeye was in trouble. Hesitantly they round the corner to see the boy in question arguing with another circus performer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the image that inspired Clint's mark
> 
>   
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b9/f4/72/b9f4722a790b0bb3eed6c468cc95c562.jpg


	27. Hawkeye

Clint was arguing with Swordsman, there was inconsistencies with funding, and he wasn’t sure where the blame needed to go, but he was sure Swordsman was a part of it.

“I know for a fact there was more money! I personally worked to get the audience to give more and yet my cut doesn’t reflect that. Never does anyone else I talk to, and yet you are one of the few who seems to not have that problem. You got a new tv, spent a night at that luxury hotel-”

“I only got what was owed to me.” Swordsman steps closer, trying to intimate him – something Clint was starting to realize he has done since Barney and him joined the circus. “You are lucky to have anything, and are easily replaced.” Swordsman fist balled up, and Clint was preparing to fight.

“That is not true.” A voice makes both whip around to see who is talking, and see two young boys. “Hawkeye is one of the main headliners. Audience nearly doubles when he is about to be in the ring.” 

“That’s right.” The other boy adds as he pushes up his glasses. “Sales fall by at least twenty percent when he is on stage, and rise by thirty-five percent after his amazing performance. In addition, I notice Hawkeye memorabilia sales out faster by at least fifteen percent.” He blushes a little and fidgets. “I’m really good with numbers.”

“I am good at figuring people out, and I know that you and the other performers are not on Par with Hawkeye. His feats are near impossible and an old man like you would just break a hip.” The kid had such a defiant, ‘I dare you’ look, that Clint felt like he would puff up like a proud mama bird if Swordsman wasn’t starting to pose a threat. “Bruce go get Barney and scream your head off.” He addressed the other boy without taking his eyes away from Swordsman.

_What the fuck does this kid think he’s going? Why…why is he sticking up for me?_

Clint grabs swordsman and pushes him away when he notices him making a move to grab the boys – either the one running away, or the one standing his ground, he wasn’t sure but he wouldn’t let him harm a kid.

“You will not touch them!” He growls and slams his fist into Swordsman’s rib when he tries to get past him again. Clint keeps his body between the kid and Swordsman as they start brawling. “Run kid!”

“No!”

“Just listen to me!”

“I can help!” 

_Damn it! This kid’s gonna be trouble!_

He wasn’t met for fighting and he wasn’t sure how much longer he could hold off the older man. Just when he thought Swordsman would get the upper hand, a small rock smacks Swordsman in the forehead, and it is quickly followed by a few more.

“What the hell?!” He recognizes Barney’s voice and backs off so his older brother can fight Swordsman for him, only a few seconds pass between Clint moving away before Barney was on top of the man and pounding into him.

With a quiet thanks, he turns to look for the kid who was rejoined by his friend, who was pulling him away behind the forming wall of other performers. “Kid you ok?”

“Me? What about you? You’re the one bleeding.” 

_Snarky_

“I’m fine. What were you thinking kiddo?”

“My name is Tony and your my soulmate.” The boy shoves his arm out and Clint is able to see his mark on the boy’s arm, partially colored in the color of family.

“Well fuck.” 

“That’s a bad word.” Tony grins.


	28. The Bartons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No matter his age, Tony is always Tony.

Clint, his brother, and Rebecca watch as Tony and Bruce devour their funnel cakes, too busy enjoying the sugary treat to really talk. He also suspected Rebecca was keeping quiet because she was judging him. Not that she blamed her, he wasn’t a good influence and had already got in a fight with Tony around.

“Thanks.” Tony says once he is finally done, chocolate sauce and powder sugar decorating his face. “This was really good.”

“Sure kid.” Clint gives a weak smile and hands over a napkin. He helps direct Tony on where to wipe his face.

“So what do we do from here?” Barney cut in, just wanting things to be over already. “Not only are you bonded but you carry a family bond.” 

“It means we are family.” Tony answers. “You too Barney, even if none of us have your mark. Family is more than DNA.”

“And RNA,” Bruce cracks and the two boys laugh as Rebecca smiles fondly at them.

“Bruce is my soulmate but not Rebecca, but she is still family. And I think that is something you both need.”

“Kid, what do you know?” Barney growls, and Clint elbows him in the ribs.

“My parents are not my biological parents. They saved me from my abusive bio family.” Both Bartons wince at that and the dead tone he says it in. “Family is the people who take care of you and love you unconditionally. That don’t look at you as a way to make ends meet or reach their own goals with no regards to your wellbeing. I don’t think you two have that here beyond yourselves.”

“Mom and I ran too. We know what it means to be hurt by who is supposed to protect you. We know what it means to do whatever it takes to be safe. Tony and his parents took us in as family.” Bruce reaches out for his mom’s hand and she holds it tightly. 

“We aren’t judging you, just giving you another option.”

Clint sees it then, a boy forced to be older than his age. “And what is the option?”

“Come meet the Jarvises,” Rebecca replies, “from there, we’ll figure it out.” She looks around at the performers still loitering around, “at least for tonight you can have a safe place to rest.”

"The option is to come live with us." Tony grins. "Or at least know where you'll be safe if ever you need a place."

“Not afraid we will steal or harm you?”

The three strangers smile at the Bartons, Rebecca's was especially wicked. “We have top of the line security, and all adults in the house know how to shoot a gun and where they are located. Especially the Ana and Edwin.”

Tony claps his hands together. "Come on Hawkeye. Trickshot. I'll make you better bows than that crappy ones you both are currently using."


	29. Clint's decision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clint decides on what to do about living with Tony and his family.

No one could believe it when they saw Tony acting more his age, however it wasn’t necessarily a good thing. After staying for a few days, and Tony building two tech infused bows, Clint and Barney were leaving to go back to the circus.

“I can’t stay forever,” Clint says softly as he crouches down in front of the upset child sitting on the couch with his body pressed tightly into the corner of it. “It doesn’t mean I wont be in touch.”

“………………..” tony refuses to acknowledge him, going as far as crossing his arms over his chest and looking away. Even when Clint tried to move into his eye line, Tony would just turn his head to look somewhere else. The only place he refused to look was as Barney.

“Come on Tony,” Clint’s voice takes on a begging tone, “I won’t be gone forever. And I’ll keep in touch. I promise. Even Barney will. We have to keep working kiddo and I don’t exactly have skills for a regular job. And I’m not smart enough to help you make things.”

“……………..”

“Please buddy.” Clint shuffles closer. “Please talk to me.”

“I thought…..” Tony voice sounded even younger as was so heartbreaking to hear, “I thought I was your little bird.”

“Of course you are.” Clint kept his hands to himself even though he wanted to pull Tony into a hug and comfort him.

“But you’re still leaving.”

“I got to.”

“No you don’t. You’re choosing to.” Tony pushes his way off the couch and passed Clint. “Cause I’m not worth staying for.” The boy runs off to his room, leaving everyone too dumbfounded to follow or even say anything for several minutes before Edwin and Ana come back online and chase after him. Bruce heads to the workshop to think of some invention to distract Tony from the Barton’s leaving (mainly Clint though).

“You know Clint,” Barney says as he comes over to stand next to his brother, “you can stay if you want to. You don’t have to come with me.”

“Barney-“

“You still have time to go back to school. You can be more than a circus performer.”

“You both could.” Rebecca tells them. “Neither of you have to go back.”

“And what? Mooch off Tony and his family?” Clint was beyond frustrated. How could no one understand that he wouldn’t take advantage of Tony’s kindness like that. That was a bad road to go down, and he refused, even if the kid didn’t seem to care. “Little bird deserves better than that.”

“Then get a job that keeps you in town. You can go work at a grocery store or at a farm. They pretty much take anyone. Both of you can go back to school and better yourself.”

“I won’t –“

She holds her hand up to stop him. “It’s not taking advantage if you offer to contribute as much as possible. It could even be just watching the boys. And these aren’t normal boys. Things get blown up with them. It actually is a full time job in itself with them.”

“Why don’t you stop them then?” asks Barney.

“Because Tony and Bruce are the future, no doubt about it.” She gives a proud momma smile before giving each teenager a pat on the cheek. “Just think about it, ok?”

“No.” Clint shakes his head. “We need to go.” 

******several months later*******

“Hello?” Ana says as she answers the phone.

“Is this the Jarvis resident?” A young female voice asks.

“Who’s asking?”

“That doesn’t matter. I’m calling because of Clint and Barney. They’re in the hospital.”


	30. Tony Makes Choices

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony makes a device and a really bad decision.

Tony watches as his bond mate struggles with depression, anger, and more as he is forced to adjust to the life of being deaf. Both Bartons were also healing from wounds neither of them would explain, and made Tony even more uneasy. It also made Bruce and Rebecca uneasy; both would get this look of understanding before getting this distant look before running off to hole away somewhere. To say the least, the house was full of tension and unrest. So the boy did what he always does: invent.

He had taken a look at hearing aids currently on the market, as well as the history of hearing aids all the way back to the ear horn. While Tony could see how advance the latest device was, it wasn’t practical. Not for a man who did amazing flips and death defying acts almost as often as he breathes air. Tony would just have to make something better. And so he did. It took him weeks to figure out, but he eventually found a design suitable, but already had plans to improve it when the technology and tools caught up. His next step was to patent it so it would eventually be able to go to the market for all consumers. In real-time the full digital hearing aid was created based on the digital array processor in an external, standalone minicomputer and an FM radio transmitter that allowed a wireless connection between the minicomputer and individual wearing a transmitter on the body.

He debuted it to Clint who has smiles, thanked him (albeit loudly), and petted his head, but refused to use it. So he was stuck watching someone he cared about suffer and he really didn’t like that.  
So when everyone is sleeping, he takes the device and leaves a note in its place before sneaking iut in the middle of the night.  
***********  
“That’s why I’m here,” Tony says as he pushes the device he created across the desk. “I need to make this better and you are the only one with the tools and supply advance enough to help me.”

He watches as the man picks it up and checks the various pieces of the hearing aid, even opening the case to get a look inside.

“You know this won’t come free, boy.” Them man says in a fake joyful way. “You know what you’ll have to do to get my help, don’t you?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. Get started.” The device is tossed back to Tony who quickly puts it away. “You know where the lab is.”

“Yes, sir.” Tony takes off for the place he thought he had seen the last of.

Howard Stark’s lab

  
************  
What Tony misses out on in his haste to get away from the man he shares DNA with, is a call to Obadiah. 

“Guess who showed up?”  
“Yeah that’s right.”

“That’s the beauty of it all. He has no clue we were behind his soulmate getting hurt. He showed up looking for help making some stupid, useless device. Didn’t even need to threaten the others like we thought.”

“Don’t you worry. He will be a Stark again real soon.”

************  
_Clint,_

  
_I know I failed you. That this hearing aid isn’t good enough. I promise I’ll make you a better one. It won’t be lacking like this one is._  
_ I just need you to wait for me._

_I’ll make it all better. _

_Tony_

Clint knew he fucked up when he reads the note. So busy feeling sorry for himself and mad at the world, he made Tony feel like he didn’t make something amazing. Made him second guess himself. 

And now, he had the feeling something bad had happened while they all slept or was about to.

He races out of his room with the note clenched in his hand, hoping Ana and Edwin would know what to do before the worst could happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phone call was one sides because had Tony stayed and heard it, he would have only heard Howard's side of it, so I treated it the same way as if you were listening in.


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony works on the blueprints and Clint goes to get him.

Tony couldn’t help but pity Howard as he looks over the blueprints; there were so many errors and stupid mistakes as if it was haphazardly put together. It was like he was fearing a timeframe and didn’t bother to look things over, hoping he would have more time later on to fix things. So that is where Tony began – fixing the mistakes on the blueprints in regards to measurements and formulas. When that was done then he go about fixing other things so that the gun would actually work and you know, not blow up. He sighs as he goes over everything, realizing it was going to take at least three hours to fix everything. It would take Tony even longer if Howard wanted him to build the gun too: he would have to come back another day to build it.

Tony quickly gets to work, tackling the blueprint with more vigor than he has anything else. He needed to get out of the Stark Mansion before things could turn bad. He also didn’t want to have memories attacking him, plus his parents were likely going to show up soon, guns blazing as they force their way inside and fearing the worse. But he had years to learn: don’t be seen and don’t be heard, and you’ll get by. So he worked fast but slow enough to not have any mistakes.

  
********

Clint sneaks into the mansion with his bow and arrows strapped to his back. The Jarvises had given him an idea of where to find the genius kid while they went about trying to get to him the more normal route, aka the front door. Granted they had weapons on them, so it probably wasn’t that normal but since he didn’t really know his mom, he wasn’t completely sure what would be considered typical behavior.

He keeps his head on a swivel, having very little hearing he couldn’t rely on it to tell him if he was in danger, but having Barney with him would heighten his chances of getting caught, so he was stuck checking everything every few seconds, practically with every step. Of course he also moved quickly, not wanting to leave Tony alone for any longer than he had to.  
Just couldn’t try out the hearing aids, could you? So busy feeling sorry for yourself, that your bonded decides to put himself in danger to try and help you?

Clint finds the secret passage that will get him straight access to the lab and feels around for the hidden switch. When he feels it give under his touch, he quickly pulls it open and slips inside, shutting the door behind him. Making sure the path is clear, he runs down the hallway, noting the passages he passes in case he needs to make an escape down the hidden tunnels, and eventually finds the right door and pulls it open a crack. Looking around, Clint doesn’t see anyone but Tony who is hunched over something, and has his back to the door. “Tony?” he whispers as he steps out into the large room. “Tony?” he calls a little louder. “Tony are you ok?” He keeps moving closer, careful not to bump into anything. “Tony!” he hisses and watches the boy startle and whirl around.

“----- ---- --- --- ----- ----” He could see Tony’s mouth moving but didn’t understand a single word. “--- ---- -- ----- ------ ------ ----- ---.”

He shakes his head. “I can’t understand you. I don’t know what you said.” He grabs Tony’s hand. “We need to go.” Clint starts to pull the kid out of his seat but stops when Tony shakes his head.

“----” Tony reaches for the device he made for Clint. “---- -- ---- ---- ------"

“Kid, I promise you made something amazing. I was just being a jackass.” Clint grabs the device and shoves the ear pieces in, and turns the device on. 

“It’s not good enough.” The words are a little delayed but not really noticeable. 

“Yes it is, little bird. I heard every word. You don’t need your abusive father to help you. You’re already amazing. Let’s go. Please.” He takes Tony’s hands in his again.

“I can’t.” Tony gives him a heartbreaking smile. “I made a promise. I need to get this done and then I can go home.”

“Tony-“

“Please Clint! I have to do this!” 

He groans. “Quickly kid. If we hear anyone, we’re leaving. Understood?” 

“Thank you.” Tony hugs him and returns to some paper, and Clint watches the door, itching to grab his bow and thread one of the arrows. He even nervously started to tap his foot, the thump thump thump somehow soothing and allowing him to count the passing of time.

When the ten minute mark hits, he turns to check on the genius and sees a lot had happened on the blueprints during that time. He understood none of it, but saw that Tony seemed more relaxed. “Done.” Tony grabs his hand and drags him away. “Need to leave before Howard finds out.” They head back for the secret passage. “Can’t let him see you.”


	32. Made of Iron, Made of Titanium

The moment Clint steps through the secret passage, Tony lets go of his hand and uses the element of surprise to shove the teenager further in and slams the door, the lock engaged and securing the hallway. 

"Tony!" Clint pounds on the door

"You need to leave now. If I leave right now, Howard will come for me and he will hurt anyone who gets in his way. I can't leave with you." He knew he was really loud, but he wasn't sure how well the hearing aids worked through the heavy door."

"No Tony, you can come with me. It will be easy. And we'll all protect you."

"I can't Clint. But I promise I'll leave soon too. I'll meet you down the road. Go wait and hide at the group of birch trees. You turn left when you leave the gates and you'll eventually run into them."

"Tony-"

"Go Clint! Now!" He slams his fist against the door for emphasis. He counts the seconds, but when he doesn't hear the teen anymore, he assumes he left. "I'm sorry." Tony turns and squares his shoulders and begins walking out of the lab to go find the man he once called father, and finds him in the sitting room.

"It's done, so I'm leaving."

"Is that so?" Howard puts the newspaper down. "You are just going to leave without even showing me the design?"

"Yes." He smirks. "We both know I'm smart enough to do what you couldn't. And I know it will function and anything can easily be tweaked by R&D when put into production. So I'm leaving." Tony could tell Howard didn't expect him to stand up to him, but he needed to make it clear that things were finished between them.

"Boy, if you think you can talk to me like that, you are sorely mistaken." The man gets up and heads towards the child.

"I'm not, because while I may be young, my mind is better than yours. So much so, I can remember everything I have ever had a hand in, and will prove it to the government, the media, and your board." He stuffs his hands in his pockets, his left hand closing around the object inside while his right balls into a fist. "I'm not afraid of you any more." When Howard reaches for him he backs up to keep distance but continues to stand his ground. "Edwin is my father. You are just a man I share DNA with."

"You little shit!" The man lunges and grabs him roughly before throwing him to the ground. "You really think you can speak to me like that?! Jarvis filled your head with nonsense." He quickly pins the struggling boy to the ground, sitting on top of him and using his body weight and size to his advantage. "Did you really think you could threaten me?!" Howard was losing it, so scared of what Stane would do if he let the boy leave, he wasn't aware of anything else. "I'll break you." He slaps Tony hard, enough to disorient him. "You are a great disappointment, choosing them over your own flesh and blood."

"Like you with Rogers." Tony spits at him which enrages him further, and results in Howard strangling him. "Mad…..he didn't…….. love you back?" Tony keeps struggling, trying to get his pinned arm out from under Howard's hold. When it doesn't seem to work, he goes limp and pretends to be unconscious. He forces him not to react when he gets slapped a few times and yelled at by Howard.

"A fucking disappointment." Howard scoffs and stands up. "Probably best you picked Jarvis, because you're weak. Stark's are made of iron." He wipes at his mouth as he looks at the body, moving around it as he decides on what to do. "And you ain't." Howard kicks the kid lightly before turning away. "Now I have to get rid of you."

He screams when he feels something pierce his inner thigh and falls to the ground.

"I am a Jarvis." Tony pushes himself off the ground and stares down at the man. "And this," he holds up the bloodied object, "is made of titanium."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Currently Clint is 16, Barney is 19. Their birthday's passed during those months away from Tony and Bruce.
> 
> Bruce and Tony are currently 9, but Bruce's birthday is just around the corner, with Tony's a few months later.


	33. After Effects

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some time has passed since Tony saw Howard, but the after effects are still around.

To say his family wasn't happy would have been a drastic understatement. They especially didn't like the fact he was bloodied and bruised. Tony however, was very proud of himself. He had gotten the material needed to make a better device, stuck to his promise, and even brought Howard down quite a bit thanks to the metal plating Winter left him.

He didn't know why he had felt compelled to bring it with him that night, but he did. And it allowed him to cut into Stark's leg. The little genius felt braver when it was with him; brave enough to steal a bag and fill it with things while the man laid there bleeding. It made him brave enough to let his parents inform SHIELD so they can try to do something. And it made him feel brave enough to even stand up to his family and tell them everything he did was necessary for the betterment of others.

Unfortunately brave doesn't make things better and so he has been stuck staring up at his ceiling above his bed since he was grounded. Even grounded from inventing, but could at least still come up with designs. One such design was a device that would do away with needing to use paper at all for blueprints. It was tiresome to have to keep track of it all, and made him lose momentum when he had to go searching for paper or writing utensils.

His fingers rub absent-mindedly against the cool metal of the plate; wondering why he felt braver with it, and knowing without it, he would have let Howard have his way. 

He had a sneaky suspicion though, that something worse was just over the horizon. That he and his family were just enjoying the eye of the storm's peace.

_ Would his family be better off without him? They are always having to do so much because of him. Ana and Jarvis were having to put off trips to see friends for him. They were having to be secretive and always with a weapon because of him. Had to move in the middle of the night for him. High security at their home because of him. And he didn't have the data yet, but he had the feeling that the Banners and the Bartons have had problems too because of him. _

_ The Jarvises may say he was a blessing to them, but since he came into the world, he has changed everything. Probably not for the better. After all, if him living was a good thing, why couldn't the Starks love him? _

Tony hisses in pain when the metal plate cuts into his palm and he quickly drops it as he scrambles to find something to press against the wound. He watches the cloth get tainted a bit red, trying to make sure it wasn't going to become coated in blood because that would mean a bigger problem.

When it seems under control, Tony looks back over to the plate, quickly wiping it off before returning it to the inside pocket of his wolf's jacket.

The Winter Soldier would probably be okay with what had happened, him taking on Howard and winning, but he was sure he wouldn't have been okay with Tony going alone or using the plate like that. He was positive the real Bucky Barnes wouldn't have approved of any of it. Even if he had Steve's back in all those fights, he didn't seem to care for violence but was rowdy enough to still join in on a good fight and have fun.

Tony lets out a disgusted noise and grabs Bucky Bear first to put him inside his box and shoves it under the bed, before going to look for one that would fix Winter. He didn't want them out anymore. Not when he felt he didn't deserve them.

Once the wolf is away, he unclenches his hand around the cloth, and stares with morbid fascination at the blood.

_ Stark blood ran through his veins. The same blood he saw out of Howard. _

_ He may say he is a Jarvis, but DNA says he is a Stark.  _

_ And Starks were poisonous to people. _


	34. Bruce Tries to Help Tony

Bruce could feel his eye twitch as he stood outside his friend's bedroom; Tony had been off since coming back from the Stark's Manor. It was honestly eating away at everyone, but the adults had to keep up with the punishment (according to them, he thought it was illogical), and the Barton's had no clue on how to get the other genius out of his shell. Even the Jarvises could barely coax him out of his room to eat. He still went to school though, but he didn't talk much there either.

Taking a deep breath, he knocks on the door. "Tony? It's Bruce." Bruce strains his ears trying to hear a response but doesn't get any. Taking a hold of the knob, he slowly opens the door, immediately noticing how dark it was and how stale the air was. "Tony?" He inches in, looking around as best he can before switching the light on. "Tony?" Bruce couldn't see his friend anywhere which didn't make sense because no one saw him leave his room since returning home from school. He out of everyone would have noticed because he made sure to keep the door in his line of sight for hours now. With this knowledge and that he knew Tony wouldn't use the window to escape, he deduced he was either hidden under the bed or in the closet.

His first check was under the bed, but only saw a few boxes, so Bruce goes and knocks on the closet door. "Tony? Come on. Let me know you are okay at least. Please?"

"... I'm fine," a quiet reply came and made him release some of the tension he wasn't aware of.

"I'm coming in, okay?" Bruce opens the door and sees Tony curled against the back of the big closet and goes and sits by him after shutting the door. The two geniuses don't say anything but as the minutes tick by, they slowly lean on one another, melting beneath the silent comfort.

"You okay, Bruce?" Tony's voice sounded rough from disuse, and it hurt to hear it.

"Me?" He lets out a hysterical chuckle. "You're the one not acting like yourself."

The other kid shakes his head -something felt more than seen- and sighs. "This is how I was before when Jarvis and Ana weren't around. They tried their best to not let Howard and Maria affect me, but couldn't really stop it all."

"But you're not with them anymore. You don't have to be like this." His voice takes on a pleading tone.

"It's fine Bruce. I'm fine."

"But-"

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. After all, Starks are made of iron."

Bruce's face morphs into horror as Tony's words.

_ Starks are made of iron. _

_ Starks, not Jarvises _


	35. Ballet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stane is done with Howard screwing up, and reaches out for professional help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got some wonderful help from MasseNa with the Russian, including better way to phrase things. Such a sweetie. 😁
> 
> (Does anyone know how to tag someone in the notes, so I can tag them?)

Stane was livid that Howard was stupid enough to let the kid go. Again. It was expected however; the man didn't know how to keep power which is why it was so easy for him to take control of SI with Stark as a puppet. Obidiah also knew that man's mental health was going so it wasn't helping the matter. Perhaps he would ease up to settle the man so things would better straighten out. In the meantime, Stane would just have to resort to other avenues of persuasion.

Grabbing the phone, he dials a number he long ago memorized but hasn't used in years.

"Школа танца Романовой," the woman on the phone said pleasantly as if it wasn't a front of an assassin clan.

"Свяжите меня с Нико. Скажите ему, что мне нужна танцовщица." 

"Минуту." He was put on hold, getting more annoyed as time passed; if it wasn't for the fact that he knew what they did, he would have threatened them for making him wait so long.

"Это Нико, говорите," a gruff voice fills his ear after ten minutes. He could even hear the man take a drag from a cigarette or cigar.

"Я хочу взять балерину на некоторое время. Или два. Способный к сложному дуэту."

"Сумма будет немаленькая, особенно если на неопределенное время."

"Я в состоянии себе это позволить!" He growls. How dare this man think he was incapable of affording two people.

"We shall see." The drag of the cigar or similar item was clearly heard again, more deliberate this time. ""Что именно ты ищешь? Выбор у нас богатый."

He thinks about what needs to be done before answering. "A mother - daughter team. If not, a top ballerina."

"Хорошо. Перечислишь деньги и мы отправим их к тебе." Niko hangs up without preamble.

"Bastard." Stane slams the phone down and gets to work about getting the money into the right hands as soon as possible once the estimate comes through on his old account.

**\---- translation for the above portion----**

"Romanov Dance Studio," the woman on the phone said pleasantly as if it wasn't a front of an assassin clan.

"Put me on with Niko. Let him know that I need a ballerina for a special event."

"One moment." He was put on hold, getting more annoyed as time passed; if it wasn't for the fact that he knew what they did, he would have threatened them for making him wait so long.

"Niko speaking," a gruff voice fills his ear after ten minutes. He could even hear the man take a drag from a cigarette or cigar.

"I need a ballerina for some time. Possibly two. Capable of a complex duet."

"That is a heavy price, especially for an unknown time."

"I can afford it!" He growls. How dare this man think he was incapable of affording two people.

"We shall see." The drag of the cigar or similar item was clearly heard again, more deliberate this time. "What are you looking for? We have many choices."

He thinks about what needs to be done before answering. "A mother - daughter team."

"Good. Send the money and we'll send them." Niko hangs up without preamble.


	36. Along Came A Spider

Tony was given back his workshop, and the Jarvis family spent even more time together, but nothing was bringing the young boy out of the funk. Not even Clint's crazy antics or sciencing with Bruce. It was frightening.

Ana became even more worried when the beloved bear and wolf were found shoved into boxes. Tony never put them away for anything. For him to do that…..it meant everything was far worse than they feared and that was already pretty bad.

The only solution they could come up with was to get him to see a therapist, and so they began the extensive research to find one that could best suit Tony's need, understand the unique family dynamics, be trustworthy, and sign NDAs. They would have to be willing to also not keep any records of the sessions unless under false information in case of Howard finding out. While they didn't think he would find out, paranoia and many years working for the Starks told them not to take chances.

"There is something fishy about this one," Ana's Hungarian accent came out thicker than normal, a sure sign of her emotional turmoil as she hands a file over to her husband.

"You don't think someone had doctored a doctor do you?" Edwin looks over the file slowly, trying to pull apart information. "How would anyone know we are looking for a therapist?"

"Maybe it is not for us, but something is off about that." She gives the file a few taps to emphasize her point.

"It is indeed tailored, but I do not believe it is in the sense of a spy." Some of the wording was off, while minute, his years of service had made him keen to such things. "I think we have someone fleeing a country. Wording indicates a different first language. Possibly has a degree in a different field before switching."

"Should we look into him?"

"No," Edwin shakes his head, "not us, but I will have an old contact look into him." He closes the folder. "If he is indeed hiding for safety, he might be the best match for us. His background matches what we are looking for, and he understands the need to not be found."

"If he proves trustworthy. Until then, keep looking through the files."

******

Bruce wasn't sure but he got the feeling that he was going to meet a new bondmate soon. The little spider he had for a few months now was itching like crazy, something that happened when he met Tony. Unfortunately the only person he wanted to talk about it with hasn't been himself for a month now.

_ Starks are made of Iron _

Those words still haunted him, and while Ana and Edwin have been trying to get Tony back to who he was, the past week has shown that they had no clue on what to do either. Logically, Bruce knew it wasn't an easy fix, the way Tony was feeling, but he wanted it fixed now. 

The genius let's out a sigh as he looks over to his friend working diligently beside him working on his class work. Tony was still doing well in school, both of them having actually just taken exams to skip a grade or two if they did well on them (which they did without a doubt) , but he was subdued. Bruce really didn't like it. 

Pain shoots through his arm, drawing his attention away from Tony and Bruce sees that he was scratching at his wrist to the point of breaking skin and making himself bleed. Raising his hand he gets the teacher's attention so he could go to the nurse's office for a band-aid and a moment to breathe. If he was developing a nervous tick of hurting himself, things were worse than he thought.

As Bruce walks down the hall, a paper towel held to the bleeding wound, he ponders over what he should tell his mother. She always feared that growing up with his father would ruin him, but now she might fear that it's his bondmate that would be the bigger issue. It didn't help that the mark wasn't fully colored, so there was a chance of gaining other colors including that for enemies (though Bruce highly doubted that one).

A door opening almost smacks him in the face, startling him. "Oh, sorry." Bruce looks up and sees an older red headed girl smiling apologetically at him.

"It's ok." He blushes. "I wasn't paying attention."

"Glad you didn't since it gives us a chance to meet." She holds out her hand. "I'm Natalia."


	37. Puzzle

Bruce was intrigued to see the spider and book take on its blackened form, knowing the new girl was the cause of it, but to see no color take place as well to fill in some of the details? That was essentially unheard of in his world. Every mark he and his found family had immediately gained some color - and while the non-coloring was common enough, it was an outlier especially for him. However, it did present him with a unique opportunity to drag Tony away from whatever plagues him. No way his science bro would pass up the opportunity to see why this one mark took on no color.

It made him smile for the rest of his day, settling something in him and calming his tick. The good feeling lasted all the way until he was able to talk Tony onto their lab to research further on marks.

"There has to be a way to test the marks themselves," Bruce mumbles, "and without causing harm to the bearer."

"Surprisingly no." Tony groans. "Everyone before us could only come up with things like peeling the layer of skin off or jabbing a needle in and seeing if they can put a false pigment. Every theory either led nowhere or involved harm."

"Even the pigment?" He moves over to look at the research in Tony's hand, eyes skimming rapidly over the paper.

"It caused immense pain akin to a limb being torn off and then the wound being burned closed according to one subject. Eventually the mark healed itself, but it took months of constant pain to do so."

"So anything altering is out. Which honestly seem counterproductive in the first place." The two boys sit in silence as they continue surveying any study that was even partially successful. "And nothing can be done to test the colors themselves. They are akin to a mole, a blemish on the skin……" Bruce's brows furrow. If the mark themselves couldn't be tested, what could be? "Would it be possible to test for chemical compounds in the system, possibly in the skin itself to see what causes the changes to a mark, and a mark itself?"

Tony stills as he ponders the words, probably creating formulas in his mind and ways to test it. "The mark would have to be isolated, I think. Nothing to interfere with the test, so only a fresh corpse would be useful until further data is needed."

"...This is a lot harder than I thought it would be." He frowns.

"All good science is until it's done." 

*******

The boys didn't get much sleep that night. Throwing out possible tests only for the other to shoot it down because it simply wasn't possible. There were some ideas that seemed plausible but the two young boys couldn't figure out how they could get their hands on the necessary material. It was frustrating.

However, it did its job to bring back a bit of spark in Tony as the two geniuses tried to figure out the greatest puzzle in the world, if not the world. 

"I bet we can apply for access to a lab at the school." Bruce muses as they head into the building together.

"They'll probably want some control, maybe even take credit for our work. We can't let that happen."

"Yeah," he sighs, "it would be -. Hey, Tony," he whispers, "it's her. Over by the library, reading a book. The red head." He watches as his friend tries to be subtle as he looks over, and chuckling to himself since Tony is as subtle as a lighthouse overlooking the water. 

After a few moments, Tony replies back quietly. "She looks up to something. Maybe that's why there is no color." He sighs. "Be careful." Tony splits off, heading over to talk to some kid named Carol that they shared class who had recently transferred to their school and one of the few who didn't mind the age difference and treated them like equals. Maybe they'd even be friends one day.

Bruce finds himself smiling as he makes his way over to Natalia. 

He always did like puzzles.


	38. Preparing for a Spider

Tony did not like this Natalia girl; something was off about her and so he didn't deem her trustworthy. However, he did play nice for Bruce's sake, spending time with the two of them at the school though keeping guard of his private life and his ideas. Tony knows a snake thanks to Howard, but she was even more cunning. Too put together, near perfect in how she molded into Bruce's life as if tailored made. She also liked to think herself intelligent but she was not. Only gave vague information and played off others; pretending to know everything when she knew so little.

He downright hated her.

"Maybe we could hang out sometime? Maybe at your house this weekend?" Natalia asks Bruce in a faux flirty voice. "I bet my mom wouldn't mind."

_ You better say no. She isn't going anywhere near my home. _

"I'll have to ask," Bruce blushes as he replies.

"Sure." She grins and waves by before heading her own way while the two boys head out to meet Barney who was driving them home. 

The three guys chatted about school on the drive, just  _ shooting the breeze _ as Jarvis liked to say, but the moment they stepped inside, Bruce was hounding the three adults about letting Nat (and probably her mother) over that weekend. Tony could hear Clint adding in his enthusiasm as it turns out that he had her mark as well.

_ "What's with you and kid soulmates?" Barney laughs as Clint reveals his latest mark. _

_ "Shut it. You're just jealous." _

The young genius took it upon himself to get Barney to follow him to the workshop because the way the conversation was sounding, they were going to have guests in a few days. 

"What's up little genius?" Barney looks around, spending most of his time elsewhere. "Got a new invention you need some muscles for?"

"No." He shakes his head. "I need your help gathering blueprints and projects and carrying them to my room."

"What for?"

"........" Tony goes back and forth on if he should say anything as the two get to work, but eventually spills. "I don't trust her."

"You think……. You jealous or somethin'? You never had to share your soulmates before."

Tony gives an exacerbated sigh. "No, Barn. I don't care if I have to share. She is…...she is fishy."

"Fishy how?"

"She seems fake. Has other motives than friendship. Please just help me?"

"Yeah, alright." The two of them moved around gathering things and dropping them off on Tony's bed. "You really worried?" Barney asks as he hands things down to Tony as he puts them away in the secret storage space beneath the bed.

"Yeah. Trust me, you'll see."

"Alright." Barney wasn't sure what to say, but in the time he got to know Tony, he knew the kid had good instincts. Plus he was a little suckered because Tony had made a dog tag for him that carried Tony's mark and one for himself with Barney's ("Because you are my soulmate too. Screw fate") and had gifted them earlier that week. He would deny it, but he knew he cried for like an hour then, and here and there since. Just thinking about it made the teen all misty eyed.

"Thanks." Tony comes out and gives Barney a hug filled with so much gratitude, that he vows then and there to do his best to look out for this kid.


	39. Chapter 39

Barney had to hand it to Tony, this Natailia was indeed "fishy". Her answers were just too perfect yet vague enough that if she slipped up it would be hard to catch her in a lie. Her laugh seemed relaxed but held an edge of forcefulness. It was like trying to draw attention and misdirect focus.

He hates to say it but those were tricks he knew all too well. They were the one he used when he was younger and living with an abusive father who didn't care if his family ate, which led to Barney becoming a thief when he was only ten and eventually a con man so he could care for his mother and brother. His past was riddled with problems, but because of it he could see what others didn't.

The former circus performer saw the fear that tightened around Natalia's eyes that stopped her smile from reaching them. He saw the slight flinch in her frame when Ana accidently dropped something in the kitchen as if expecting to be hit. Barney could see how she tried to keep as much space between her mother and her as possible without it being too obvious. 

Yes, something was fishy, and there was an end game here, but he knew it didn't stem from the younger girl. No, that girl was a victim, a puppet, but who was the puppeteer?

He glances at Tony and can tell by the slight frown and furrow of his brows that the kid noticed too. 

_ What a fucked up world that a boy just shy of ten knows how to tell signs of abuse. To know when manipulation is happening. _

Barney felt slightly thankful the kid hadn't been showing signs of attraction to others yet, the girl was indeed pretty, because it would have left him vulnerable. He wouldn't have noticed the slightly off acts of Natalia if he was being bombarded with hormones at the same time. 

_ Or maybe his attraction doesn't go that way. _

He shakes off that thought for another time - feeling he should give the birds and bees talk as a pseudo older brother - and starts paying closer attention to the girl's mother.

The mother shared similar mannerism to the girl, hers were more refined and her tells are non-existent. Or at least not as noticable. She was more relaxed and inviting, but she seemed to stumble whenever she subtly tried to be seductive with Jarvis when he didn't even notice nor respond.

Barney wanted to laugh at that: no man ever existed that was more devoted to his wife than Jarvis. For him the sun rose and set with Ana. And juvenile tactics like Barney himself used to employ on really bad nights were not going to turn his head. They wouldn't even be a blimp on his radar.

Ana though, oh if Ms. Rushman tries it again, her tea was going to have something extra in it for sure. Jarvis might be oblivious to the flirting but his wife was not. 

_ Might have to help get rid of a body when this is all done. _

He tunes back in when he hears Bruce say he was going to show Natalia the workshop and it makes him a bit angry on Tony's behalf. He knows Tony didn't agree to it, nor was even asked, but apparently that didn't matter to anyone. Didn't even matter that both him and Tony didn't agree to having them over. But if they said anything they would be deemed paranoid or selfish. 

_ I accused him of being jealous _ .

Tony's feelings and essentially his autonomy were being trampled on and no one seemed to notice but him. Nevermind the fact many of the kid's patents are actually helping pay for the house and things, he should feel safe in his own home.

With Clint, Bruce, and Natalia heading for the workshop, and the adults to the garden out back, Barney stops Tony with a kind hand on his shoulder. "How about you and me get out of here and go have some fun?" He smiles.

"But what about…?"

"They are the ones who invited them, not us. We've played polite long enough. And we can trust you have your things safely away…...So…..what do you say? Ready to ditch this joint?"

"Yeah." The smile he received was almost blinding, and well worth blowing his latest paycheck on.

"Go grab a jacket just in case, and I'll tell your pops we're leaving." Barney grins at the kid's back as he runs to his room, his hand coming up to grab at his soulmate dog tag. He couldn't believe someone could be that happy just because they are spending time together. How could fate not bond them? Not make them family?

  
  
  
  


_ Fuck fate. We'll make our own. And I choose that kid. _

  
  


He heads out to tell Jarvis they're leaving.


	40. Not Born Marks

Barney focuses on keeping Tony's mind off the guests as they make their way to the arcade; it honestly wasn't hard, all he had to do was ask a mechanical or theoretical question and Tony could talk for hours.

"So it wouldn't be possible to have hover cars?" He honestly hoped there would one day be - he always wanted to fly.

"Not right now. The needed material and formulas don't exist or exist in a way that would be efficient and cost effective." Tony gives his arm a pat in comfort, and it definitely makes Barney smile. "I heard the stories about adamantium and vibranium; if more of those materials could be found and without too much trouble, they could in theory work. But a person would be far easier to make fly, even with inferior materials. I could help you fly one day."

_ This kid is amazing. _

"You're wonderful." Barney ruffles Tony's hair before pulling him into a hug. "Best ever. But you never need to make me something to keep me, ok? You're my family. My little brother." He nods. "I decided I'm gonna work hard and save money and get a soulmate tattoo. No way we aren't soulmates."

"Really?" Tony looks up at him with the sweetest and most heartbreaking bambi eyes, and it just makes him cuddle the kid all over again. The Jarvises may have loved him since forever, but clearly the Starks have caused too much damage.

_ Could kill them. Then there will be no more problems. _

"Yeah. Heard it takes using a bit of the bond's blood but it will work like a born mark once done."

"It is painful though. And expensive?"

"And?"

Tony shakes his head. "Why would you want to go through all that?"

"Because you're worth it. I'd do it now if I had the money and knew of a great artist." He politely ignores the tears pooling in the kid's eyes. "I got twenty bucks we can blow. Bet between the two of us, we'll get lots of tickets."

"Yeah." Tony smiles and wipes his eyes. "Let's go, Trickshot."

\----Natalia----

Natalia wasn't exactly sure what she was to be looking for, but she knew none of Tony's inventions could be found in the workshop. The only other place she could think of is his room since Bruce had already given her a tour so unless there was a secret room……..

_ You need to find where his stuff is hidden. Take pictures. _

She knew her orders her "mother" gave her, but it seemed like today wouldn't be successful because there was no way she could slip into Tony's room without raising the alarms.

Natalia shivers as she thinks what will happen to her once she is home since she wasn't able to find anything useful.

_ Could pass Bruce's stuff off as Tony's. No one would know but me. He's smart too. _

Making excuses about the bathroom, the young girl makes her way back into the house and to the workshop. She took a few pictures before slipping back out.

She might be okay for another day with this, even if it sucked that she was betraying Bruce.

_ But that doesn't matter. It's not like you are his actual soulmate. He'll want nothing to do with you either way once he finds out. _


	41. Natasha and Natalia

Natasha wanted to cry as she picks herself up off the floor again. The teachers hated weakness, and if she didn't get up soon enough or dared to cry, she was going to be beaten.

The only thing she was thankful for was that the soldat was the teacher for the day. He still pushed them, still made them get back up, but he never laid a hand on any of the girls and didn't push much further than their limits to the point of collapse.

_ "Limits can only be surpassed when they are constantly broken through." _

Her other thought was that she had to curse her bondmate. Because of the radiation bond, her family had been killed and her captured and forced into the red room. Apparently someone needed access to her bond mate, and with deep investigation had found Natasha and her family. Her blood was used for a bond tattoo so the fake bond would activate but it also meant no color would be gained (you needed their blood for the mark to act like a real one). 

"Natasha," the Soldat growls, "focus."

Right, she was still training. The Red Room had chosen not to kill her but turn her into one more of their little toys, and if she wanted to survive she had to keep training, keep improving.

Her attention returns to her sparring partner and goes through the motions. They were learning how to throw their weight into a punch without losing their fancy footwork. A widow would likely take on someone twice their size if not bigger and so fast footwork would often be the only way they didn't take on serious harm. They were also on a strict diet and exercise routine (along with ballet) to keep a lithe body because seduction was the way of the widows.

She had already seen some of the girls be starved because they put on more weight than allowed. That wasn't too much of a problem all things considered. No what Natasha feared was that that awaited her when she turned 14: sex training.

Just thinking about it made her skin crawl, and she was sure it was just an excuse for the so called teachers to sleep with them (because all widows must be beauties, and sex was sex). Oh she looked forward to the day she burned this place to the ground. She'd take them all down…. Well all except the Soldat. He was just as much a victim as all of the girls, probably even more so.

******

Natalia was able to pass Bruce's inventions off as Tony's and was grateful that the old bald man had no clue just how smart and capable Bruce was too, too focused on the Stark kid.

She wanted to hate Tony, but knew that was just dumb. He couldn't control the fact he had assholes wanting to use him. Plus, being here gave her a bit more freedom than at the Red Room. Here Natalia only had to worry about her "mother" and not all the teachers and official widows. Of course "mother" aka Rene was an actual widow and forced her to train, but one was better than twenty or so.

_ Poor Natasha. All because of who her bondmate is since they realized Bruce would be their only in.  _

"Natalia. Time for training." Rene yells up the stairs.

With leaded feet, she makes her way downstairs and to the basement.


	42. Chapter 42

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Timeskipped to when Howard and Maria die, and Tony is left everything.
> 
> Be prepared, this isn't going to follow the plot of mcu, so there are some pretty big changes happening here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Clint is 24  
Barney is 27.  
Bruce and Tony are 17.

The Starks were dead; they had been killed in a car accident shortly before Christmas. Supposedly the world mourned, and Tony did too but not the way others thought. Tony mourned the loss of privacy that came with him taking over S.I., knowing leaving it in Stane's hands would be a disaster. He mourned over what his family would go through now that he had to pick up the Stark mantle again. He mourned for Bruce because he was now connected to the company that stole his designs through Natalia. 

But he would do right by them all.

Tony offered them a place in the mansion, moving them out of their smaller home and giving them freedom to decorate their assigned space as they pleased. Bruce was given his own lab space, and a training ground was being built for Clint and Barney, and Tony was working on erasing as much evidence of Howard and Maria as he could. 

Currently though, he was changing Stark's Industries name to Jarvis Industries, and was incorporating all the work he had already done under his name into his new company. He was also going to work on getting Stane out of the company, and switching away from weapons.

"We do not need the military contract," Tony tells the board, "and you can see from my work with Jarvis Company that I can make quite a profit."

"We have always made weapons." One of the older members complains. "Your father always did."

"My  _ father _ is Edwin Jarvis. The man whose DNA I share is Howard." He already stated this. Hell, his father was seated right next to him. "As for weapons, I am not him. I know there is more profit in benefitting the world, than only the military. I will not be a bringer of death. I know you and the world will condemn me for the same thing you praise Howard for. I will not give you the luxury. So accept it or start looking for a new job." Tony stands and fixes his suit jacket and walks out the door followed by Jarvis.

"I'm proud of you," Edwin tells him. "I know this can't be easy, but you are doing well."

"I only can do this much because you are stepping in as CEO." Being only 17 was making things complicated and was screwing with the lives of everyone he knew. "We'll make defense items for the military, but the weapons must go."

"They'll try to use Rhodey against you."

"My honey bear is more loyal then that." His best friend next to Bruce, that he met at MIT, was now in the air force, and without a doubt, the government would try to get him to sway his decision once they found out about the change. "I'll finish out the contract with them, but nothing else. No more weapons."

"Alright. Your mom and I will deal with it. You just worry about you."

"Thanks." He grins. "Now if you'll excuse me…."

"Sure. Go be a kid." Jarvis laughs and waves him off.

Tony beelines it for the elevator to head down to the ground floor. Barney, Clint, Bruce, and him were going to go hit up a place for food and just let the day take them wherever it wanted. The three had made the decision after seeing how stressed everything was making him, and it was only the beginning.

"Tone! Hurry up!" Clint yells from the window of the car idling in front of the building. "I want to eat my weight in food!"

"Glutton!" He laughs. "Let's do it!" He's inside the car before he knows it, Barney peeling out like the devil was on his heels.

He smiles when he sees the bondmark on Barney's right shoulder, the one he got to connect him to Tony; Tony got Barney's too and it was one of the best decisions of his life.

"Is your  _ "friend _ " Thor still coming? Do we get to meet him?" Tony teases and starts poking at his shoulder.

"How did I get two annoying brothers?" He chuckles, a smile bright as the blush on his cheeks.

"You chose me, dummy."

"That I did. And I always will."

Unknown to all of them, a weary assassin was currently making his way to the mansion.


	43. Author update

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regarding future updates

As I have been getting a few "please update" comments on my various fic, I am taking the time to inform everyone an update isn't planned any time soon. My dad passed away a few weeks ago and I cannot focus on trying to write when I'm grieving. 


	44. Winter's Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the kind words. They helped more than you know.
> 
> I also want to extend my sympathy to all those who have lost someone. 
> 
> If any of you want to chat, you can message me on tumblr @ dreamcatcher3-ao3.tumblr.com

The Soldat wasn't sure what woke him up, but something did and his instincts screamed at him to escape and to get to a little boy with doe eyes. It stopped him from panicking and immediately eliminating all Hydra personnel that dared to get in his line of sight.

He was ruthless and left bodies in his wake, but not to the point anyone could follow his trail; no way he would lead them to the boy that gave off the feeling of home. That gave the feeling of safety.

It took him months, but he was able to make his way back to where he last remembered the boy being. Unfortunately, he wasn't there and so he tried the only other place he could think of: the mansion.

_ Howard Stark. Inventor. Abusive. _

_ Maria Stark. Wife. Abusive. _

_ Car crash. _

_ Snow. _

_ Serum. _

_ Eliminate all. _

Soldat had fuzzy memories of the Starks - older than those that terrorized Doe Eyes - she seemed softer than before, maybe redeemable, but his mission was clear, he had to get rid of witnesses.

Howard though….. Howard was like Hydra. No guilt will come from his death. Not from the asset anyways.

The mansion came into sight, and he found himself walking right up to the door, not caring about the security system in place. Metal knocks on the heavy wooden door, his brain immediately cataloging the weak points and calculating how much force it would take to kick it open.

"Soldier?" aska woman who opens the door before quickly ushering him in. "Where have you been? Are you ok? You look like death warmed over."

_ Ana Jarvis. Threat level six. Former assassin. Mother of Doe Eyes….. Friend. _

"Doe…." His voice cracks, rusty from disuse.

"Dough?" She blinks in confusion. "I do not understand." She looks around searching for something and he tells his brain to shut up about all the ways he could kill her. "Come, let's get you to the couch." Ana moves under his arm as if to help carry him there, but he knows she would be crushed if he dared lean any real weight onto her. But he still let her think she was helping. "Is your arm hurting? I don't know much about mechanics but I've learned a thing or two from Tony. At the very least I can get the arm where it has the least amount of pressure on you."

_ Tony. Doe Eyes. Soulmate. _

"Where?"

"Well on the arm rest. Or maybe with pillows."

"No." He swallows, trying to get his voice to work. "Tony?"

"Oh." She hums as she helps him get comfortable as possible on the couch. 

_ It's soft. _

"He'll be home soon." Her fingers run through his hair in what he guessed was meant to be comforting. "Your soulmate has been looking forward to seeing you."


End file.
